Kent Quarterly Spring 2016 by Kent School

Spring 2016

KENT Quarterly

KENT

CONTENTS

Quarterly

Volume XXXII.2 Spring 2016

Editor Denny Mantegani Class Notes Editor Laura Martell Contributors Kent Alley ’82 Katy Armstrong Marc Cloutier Carly Denora ’18 Adam Fischer Elaine Griffin Tonya Kalmes Stacy Langa India Mittag ’93 Alicia Moniz Kathy Nadire Design and Production Cheney & Company

The Kent Quarterly invites all readers —alumni, parents past and present, trustees, faculty, staff and students— to contribute to the magazine. We also welcome letters to the editor and look forward to your comments on articles and issues concerning the School as well as suggestions for future articles.

Features

35 Years: Reflections from the Hill and Valley

Standing With Those in Need

The Evolution of Andrei Sakharov’s Thinking

Finding Passion and Purpose

Departments 10

From the Headmaster

Between the Hills and River Shore

Kent Authors

Alumni News and Events

Class Notes

In Memoriam

Grace Note

The email address for letters to the editor is ManteganiD@kent-school.edu, and for class notes, alumni@kent-school. edu. Changes in address should be emailed to Laura Martell at Lmartel@ kent-school.edu or mailed to her at Kent School, Box 2006, Kent, CT 06757. To reach the Alumni and Development office, please call 877-770-5368. ... Kent School adheres to a longstanding policy of admitting students of any race, color, creed, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan program and other school administered programs.

Nobel Peace Prize laureates as depicted by students in Art Survey classes (clockwise from top left): Aung San Suu Kyi, Malala Yousafzai, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman (see page 22 for artists and story)

ON THE FRONT COVER:

From the Headmaster

Remaining True to our Values Excerpts from the Headmaster’s remarks at a gathering in San Francisco, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Tully ’62

Fr. Sill Branded Kent School in 1906 when he conceived our School’s Motto: Simplicity of Life, Directness of Purpose and Self-Reliance. Briefly he entertained Loftiness of Ideals as a fourth pillar, but in the end chose only three values. And in 1930, when St. Joseph’s Chapel was under construction, three windows appeared in the South Wall, each illuminating one of those values of Kent for generations to come. We can all attest to Kent values which have stood the test of time. Indeed, as we get older these values become more important in our lives, both in terms of how we understand our path in life thus far and how we live by these values day-to-day in the present. Consistent with the Motto, Fr. Sill invented the sliding-scale tuition—what today is commonplace and known simply as financial aid. But in the early days, New England boarding schools were almost exclusively for the children of affluent families. This was not true of Kent. According to our founding documents, Kent was established to make possible a superior education for boys of promise—and later girls—“from families of modest means.” Over the years Kent reached out far beyond the east coast to find such young people. Today there are students enrolled from 35 states and from 39 countries. The School provides $8.5 million yearly in scholarships. Kent is a School that has remained true to its founding values. What about Kent today? The faculty is the constant in the equation of excellence at Kent. They are, to a person, expert in their instructional calling, and more than

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that, they are exemplary human beings. They work seven days a week when we are in session and they never are too busy with their own lives to help a student with a math problem, a translation, an independent research project or even a bout of homesickness. Collectively the embodiment of Kent values, the faculty is the foundation of the School. For our part as parents, alumni, trustees— stewards all of a real treasure—we must protect and enhance the value of our vital resource. This is the most exciting time of the school year. We have already heard favorable news from a number of Ivy League schools, from Williams and Amherst, and from numerous colleges and universities from Connecticut to California. Five members of the Class of 2016 are headed to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy. It is an exciting time also because we are putting together the incoming class for next year. These are all wonderful young people and we know they too will benefit as we have and carry the Kent banner into the future with pride. I am often asked, “What’s new on campus?” Precollege engineering still dominates discussion about how

the liberal arts curriculum is evolving to embrace the application, at a younger age, of engineering concepts to the grand challenges of engineering. There is a movement across the country, which we are leading among New England boarding schools, of empowering young people, working in small groups, in an unstructured but mentored environment, to take up the challenges to quality of life—everything from water quality to healthcare devices to sustainable energy. This work proceeds now in our new building in town, a former corporate headquarters that the School acquired as a gift from a forward-looking benefactor. In our engineering spaces we have robotics, 3D printers (eleven of them) and CNC machines for prototype manufacturing. Also in the building is our new state-of-the-art dance studio. For recital purposes, we have a concert grand piano that fits nowhere at school except in the engineering building, a stroke of good fortune for encouraging exchange between the arts and engineering! A Bloomberg terminal is the latest addition to our evolving business-related activities. Also new on campus is a burgeoning summer program, known as SEEK (Summer Educational Experience

at Kent). These are one-week programs for high school and middle school–age students offered with the guidance of leading university professors: Entrepreneurship (Wharton), Global Development (Harvard), Aeronautics (Georgia Tech), and Engineering taught by our own faculty. We also have a popular ocean science trip to Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla in August and an ecology trip to Alaska in June. These are called Kent Marine Science Expeditions. One of the most exciting recent developments has been KentPresents, which will bring to campus for the second time this summer Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and leaders in many different fields. The founders of KentPresents, Ben and Donna Rosen, are neighbors in Kent, and Ben, the former chairman of Compaq Computers and chairman emeritus of Caltech, has accepted the title of Kent’s Visiting Fellow in Engineering. Finally KENT: The Second Century, the School’s undertaking to build the endowment. This is an absolutely necessary effort in order to secure the future success of the School. It is the only way to address the affordability challenge facing most Americans who wish to send their children to private schools and colleges. KENT: The Second Century is a comprehensive effort to raise new funds for endowment; to manage operations efficiently; to steward investments effectively; to use our real estate assets productively; and to diversify our revenue sources. We know this work of raising the endowment must be done. We know the Kent family is philanthropically capable of this challenge. Now we must simply do it. Kent has a great spirit of participation among the students and faculty, and also among so many alumni and parents, here and around the world, who know the value of a Kent education and are inspired by the values of Simplicity of Life, Directness of Purpose and SelfReliance. Thank you, and may the blessings of the Easter season and the joy of springtime be with you. Richardson W. Schell ’69 Headmaster & Rector

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35 YEARS Reflections from the Hill and Valley BY MARC CLOUTIER

The Cloutier family in 1990

Over the course of 35 years, Marc and Tina Cloutier have touched the lives of thousands of Kent School students. Beginning his career as a teacher of French and Spanish, Marc has served as Director of Admissions, Dean of Faculty, Director of Development and Assistant Headmaster, not to mention his roles as coach, dorm head and advisor to hundreds of students. In his current role in the Alumni & Development Office, it’s not unusual for Marc to meet with alumni whom he interviewed, taught, coached and/or served as advisor to. “After hours” may find him flipping burgers for the Alumni Soccer post-game meal or cooking a Seder dinner at Cumming House for a dozen students. As a Form Dean for the past 22 years, Tina has shepherded numerous classes through their years at Kent, providing encouragement and support, and a firm hand when needed. What’s best for the students has always been their top priority. The Cloutiers have served as ambassadors for Kent on their annual trip throughout Asia and in gatherings of the Kent family closer to home. We wish them well as they retire to Maine in July. Tina and I cannot think of a greater honor and privilege than to share our thoughts about our experiences here on campus, a place we have called home for these past 35 years. How we came to arrive here for our interview on that frigid February afternoon in 1981 stems from the place where I first met Tina—Rumsey Hall School in Washington, Conn., a few foothills away from Macedonia Valley. We learned of Kent through Rumsey’s Headmaster, Lou Magnoli, whose sons are Kent alumni, and Madame Rose Algrant, a long-time French teacher who spoke glowingly of everything Kent. In those days, Rumsey’s Parents Weekend entailed teaching class to parents as well as students, and in the Spanish class I was teaching that day, Kent’s beloved French teacher, Brud Humphreys, whose son Jon was in that Saturday morning class, stopped me and told me that I should think about teaching at Kent.

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Three months later, Tina and I ventured over Route 341 for our first visit. The Housatonic River had just heaved what resembled icebergs onto all the parking lots and we wound our way to the Administration Building to meet Modern Languages Department Chair George “Chip” Ludlow and Dean Hart Perry. It took little convincing for us to understand that we were destined to be at Kent, that it was time to carry our experiences with students at the elementary school level to those at a leading independent secondary school, soon to be led by its new Headmaster, Dick Schell. The day following our visit, we received the call welcoming us to Kent. And so we made the drive up Skiff Mountain in July with our 3-month-old son, Jean-Marc, and settled in McGovern Dorm. Not many of today’s faculty recall Kent’s coordinate system of education involving the Hill Campus for Girls

and the Valley Campus for Boys. I hope that the girls in the dorm continue today the practice of tidying up their rooms and making their beds (as the school rules required at the time), providing them with a sense of accomplishment as their day began. Leaving campus at 7:50 a.m. on the Bluebird bus for first period down in the Valley was memorable as we crept down the steep pitch of Skiff Mountain Road Marc in his first year at Kent listening to the rock station from Brookfield blasting out the songs. Tina and I could not have been happier while serving as dorm heads, as the girls who lived in McGovern were polite and respectful of our young family. And to think we had an endless number of babysitters ready to enjoy a home-cooked meal and a chance to do their laundry in return for their help. Our life was made easier with the help of Elizabeth Post, Karen Lappas, Tiffany Lightbourn, Muffy Weaver, Missy Milton and Karen Allen. And if it were not for Kristin

daughter, Alexina, nor the starry nights when we took out the cross-country skis and glided over the trails in the woods to the Kent School Stables nearby. On the Hill Campus, although we were far removed from the hectic pace of the world, we were blessed to live in a location where as parents we could raise our children amidst a community filled with wonderful students and faculty. After classes ended, we filled the afternoons with outdoor activities. Tina helped coach field hockey and tennis and subsequently had the opportunity to continue her love of working with horses by teaching beginners at the stables, all while being part of the rich equestrian tradition at Kent. She carried out Fr. Schell’s vision of having an introductory program available to any interested student. I had the privilege of coaching with long-time tennis coaches Coe de Villafranca and Jim MacLeod and softball coach Bob

The thirty-five years at Kent have been our way of life. Jean-Marc and Alexina were raised and educated here. We are grateful for every minute.

Smith and her handiwork in putting together a swing set, we would have spent days determining which screw and bolt fit in what socket. As both Tina and I hail from the North Country, we rejoiced on those days during the winter when the snow blew horizontally across the top of Skiff Mountain. We joked that life on the Hill came with its own weather system. The drifts were out of this world and it never seemed to fail that on the mandatory moving days [students at that time were required to switch roommates every term], the girls could be seen rolling their wardrobes from dorm to dorm through the slush and biting cold. We never took for granted the scarlet-tinted sunrises and sunsets seen from the Chaplain’s House where we moved after two years, following the arrival of our

Partridge, who carried over his love of baseball to the girls after many years of coaching boys and revved us all up with his rousing version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at the end of each game. Word began to spread in the late ’80s that change was in the air as Kent’s leadership deliberated on the future of the School and what was needed to secure Kent as a thriving and leading independent school as it neared its Centennial milestone. The decision was reached that Kent would consolidate its campuses to one location, its original site. I was given the task, along with Associate Director of Admissions Bonnie Kerr, of interviewing girls and enrolling the very best who would experience life at Kent very differently: a few years on the Hill followed by a move to the Valley. Although some may have

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been put off by the construction taking place along the banks of the Housatonic and in the Macedonia Valley, others saw promise and strength in an institution for the years to come. What transformed was yet another “miracle in the shadow of Mount Algo”—a Master Plan, first drawn in 1985, to culminate in what Kent School is today, a campus reputed to be one of the most beautiful in the country. Moving to the valley in mid-October brought us closer to the heart of the School’s community and to much warmer weather. No longer did we have to deal with the trek up Skiff Mountain Road. Our home on Macedonia Road proved to be perfect for hosting advisees, the equestrian team and Jean-Marc ’99 and his fiancée, Jennifer Rettig, Marc and Tina, Alexina ’01 and her husband, Tim Carey alumni for dinners. After several years of connecting with graduates and parents—all this has made coaching, Tina was hired to serve as one of our circle complete. The thirty-five years at Kent have been four form deans in the fall of 1994. Following each one our way of life. Jean-Marc and Alexina were raised and of her classes through the four-year cycle proved to be educated here. We are grateful for every minute. the most gratifying role of her Kent career. Whether it During our time at Kent, we have seen the School was finding a lost backpack for a third former or keeping transform itself in every single way through the vision over 500 teenagers happy and content on weekends as and guidance of Dick Schell and our Board of Trustees. the Blue Key Advisor, or booking the right band—Cool Runnings, Acoustic Junction or DJ Funk Master Flex—or Tina and I witnessed the deliberate pace of continuing to make Kent one of the greatest independent schools counseling the student who needed that extra boost of in our nation. What will always remain with us are the confidence, Tina accepted every challenge throughout opportunities Kent has given us—the chance to meet these past 22 years. so many young people, to count as colleagues Kent’s As Dean of Faculty, I was asked in the spring of 2004 to find a teacher who could teach theology and fulfill the faculty and staff who are committed to their work, and to travel and represent our community in so many School’s need for a head swim coach. Upon meeting and corners of America and around the world. The generainterviewing a soon-to-be Yale graduate, Tim Carey, I tions that preceded our arrival in 1981—Alumni, Parents, thought we had found a great match. Little did I know at Grandparents and Friends of Kent—made this School the time that he was also a perfect match for our daughwhat it is today. And now, it falls on every one of us in ter, Alexina, as they met at Director of Admissions Kat our world-wide Kent Family to ensure that Kent conSullivan’s Halloween party, and in June 2010, I walked Alexina down the aisle in St. Joseph’s Chapel where Dick tinues to go from strength to strength for all the young people who will cross through the Armstrong Gate onto Schell officiated at their wedding. campus and for all those dedicated adults who will work Tina and I are fortunate to have worn many hats tirelessly to prepare our students for an ever-changing throughout our time at Kent. From the Schoolhouse and world. We leave with our hearts full of gratitude and our Hill Campus classrooms, to Old Main Admissions, Kent conviction that the capable Faculty and Staff here today School Stables and the dean’s office in the R.A.D. House, are now stewards of this great School. to the Alumni & Development Offices, no two days ever With everybody’s support, there will be more miraseemed to be the same. Teaching languages and riding, cles in the shadow of Mount Algo. meeting prospective students and serving as form dean, re-

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Standing With Those in Need

Scott and Vicente, a local organization staff member, in the new workshop in Peru

Scott Mitchell ’11 is a senior at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, where he is completing a dual-degree program with Bowdoin College in biomedical engineering and biochemistry. In 2013 he was part of a team at Dartmouth that designed and built a standing frame for children suffering from cerebral palsy. This design led him to establish Stand With Me, a nonprofit organization that makes and distributes affordable standing frames for children in a growing number of countries around the world, a venture that combines Scott’s passion for engineering, medicine, community service and foreign languages. In the summer of 2015, sixth former Riley Lieber joined Scott as an intern with Stand With Me in Guatemala, where he put to use skills he had learned in Kent’s pre-engineering program as well as his Spanish 3 class. In the fall Scott will begin medical school while continuing his work with Stand With Me.

How did you become involved in medical missionary work? I first began participating in medical mission trips with a group called Medical Ministry International (MMI) when I was 15 years old after my sophomore year at Kent. At the time, I had just finished AP Spanish and was looking for a chance to use my language skills while actively participating in medicine. I remember applying to go on my first trip to Baños, Ecuador, and I was rejected by the director of the project because their policy at that time was not to accept anyone younger than 18 years old. About a month later I received a phone call from the director himself,

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and he said, “I see here on your application that you speak Spanish. It just so happens that we have a team of 65 medical personnel and no one who can speak Spanish.” During that first trip to Ecuador, I served as the lead interpreter for the entire medical team and worked one-on-one with the orthopedic surgeon as his personal interpreter throughout the day. This work gave me intimate access to both the patients and doctors. I still point to this experience as the real beginning of my aspirations to get involved with medicine and to try to make a difference. I’ve now been on eight service trips with MMI to various places in South America. At Kent I also studied Mandarin Chinese for four years, and during my sophomore year, I started the Chinese language club. The club sponsored an orphan from Beijing named Anton, and we raised over $2,000 to help pay for his cleft lip surgery. The following summer, I spent a month in Beijing, China, with a group of students led by [Kent Chinese teacher] Dr. Ann Meng, and while we were there, we were actually able to visit Anton in the orphanage. I think that the language abilities that I acquired at Kent, combined with Kent’s commitment to community service, not only inspired me, but also gave me the opportunity to participate in medicine at an early age and to assume a position of enormous responsibility.

What gave you the idea for the pediatric standing frame? In my first engineering course at Dartmouth, we were tasked with identifying a social need and coming up with a creative and effective solution for that need. I had just returned from a three-month internship with MMI in southern Peru. I was struck by the lack of even basic therapeutic devices in this low-income, low-resource region of the world. I immediately contacted my physical therapist friends in Peru because I knew they had a long wish list of medical devices. We worked together to identify the pediatric standing frame as the most important device on that list. Over the next nine weeks, my team and I developed the prototype of the standing frame that Stand With Me distributes today, with a few improvements of course.

Why is there such a great need for standing frames? Every minute a child is born with cerebral palsy, which is the leading cause of childhood disability worldwide,

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affecting more than 17,000,000 people. One third of these individuals are so severely affected that they are unable to stand independently. Standing frames are the most common form of treatment for children with severe forms of cerebral palsy and other childhood disabilities that prevent weight-bearing activities. Standing frames can significantly improve the quality of life for these patients. Physical health benefits include increased bone and muscle density, improved circulation and respiration as well as better bowel function. The mental health benefits of the standing frame include improved interaction with the environment, participation in family activities and increased ability to stimulate the brain through engaging activities. The problem is that typical standing frames are exorbitantly expensive, ranging in price from $1,200–$8,000, and are made with unique parts, such as welds, knobs, sliding apparatuses and even electric motors or hydraulic pumps. In the developing world cost alone is enough to prevent standing frames from getting into the homes of patients who desperately need them. Even for the lucky individual who is able to obtain one, over time, parts inevitably become worn, damaged, or lost. Our standing frame costs $50 to produce and is made from universally available materials such as plywood, two-by-fours, rope and generic hardware like door hinges and screws.

What impact do the standers have on the children who use them and their families? I’ve been blessed to meet with 25 of our more than 150 patients who are currently using standing frames. One of my favorite stories is about Andes, a three-year-old boy in Honduras. When we arrived at Andes’s home in July of 2015, three hours from the closest small village, his therapist broke down in tears. She hadn’t been able to meet with Andes since May when she gave him his standing frame. She explained how just a month and a half before, Andes had been unable to control the muscles in his neck, resulting in his head constantly jerking up and down. This jerking motion had prevented him from ever focusing his eyes, playing with toys, or paying attention to sounds around him. His inability to focus on objects and sounds meant that he had never made any noises except crying. The Andes we met in July held his head perfectly still and his wide eyes followed our conversation around the room. His mother explained to

Mills and Hancock Lumber were instrumental in helping Stand With Me get going. I reached out to the owner of Pompanoosuc Mills, who’s an alumnus of the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth, and he generously offered a large storage space in his shop as well as access to the main floor and help from his workers. Hancock Lumber has also been very gracious with helping us obtain materials at a discounted cost and access to tooling and equipment. They’ve also been a significant ongoing financial contributor by helping to directly cover the cost of materials purchased for our facility in Guatemala for several hundred standers. B&L Properties is also sponsoring children in Guatemala.

The Stand With Me team in the Guatemala production facility with the first locally produced standing frame: (l–r) Riley Lieber ’16, Alejandra Cuervo Covian, Scott Mitchell ’11, Emily Donaldson

us that he had fallen in love with a new toy: plastic bags. We were very happy to watch him play with this readily accessible item. As he played with the bag, he was listening attentively to how the bag made crackling and popping noises, and he also became very expressive with his voice, making happy sounds that were well on the way to becoming words. He also was focusing his eyes and using his hands to stretch and pull the plastic. Our whole team was overjoyed to see Andes smile and play like a young boy should. Andes is just one example of the kind of potential that the standing frames unlock in these children. It’s exciting to see the rate of progress that many of the children have been making in all aspects of health. It’s also wonderful to see the hope and excitement that the standing frames generate with parents who work so hard to take care of their children, and now they finally have a tool to fight back and make progress, as opposed to just making their child comfortable.

How is Stand With Me funded? Right now Stand With Me is entirely funded through individual donations, corporate sponsors and grants. We are extremely grateful to all those who make our work possible by supporting Stand With Me financially, though volunteer work or with prayer. Currently, we have three corporate sponsors, Hancock Lumber and B&L Properties located in Maine, and Pompanoosuc Mills in Vermont. Pompanoosuc

How did you set up facilities in Guatemala and Peru? We’ve partnered with organizations such as MMI, Hope Haven, and Christian Blind Mission, which are all well established, reputable global organizations that, combined, reach millions of patients around the world. The director of Hope Haven has been a wonderful mentor for me and helped me understand that local production of standing frames is the most sustainable way to reach patients. It was actually remarkably easy to establish our production facility in Guatemala because we’re sharing the space with Hope Haven in their wheelchair manufacturing plant. In our collaboration, Stand With Me uses a spacious workshop that’s fully equipped with table saws, routers and full-size work benches. We have a fulltime worker in Guatemala who produces the standing frames in the workshop. Since our departure in mid-July, he has already made over 85 standers. Likewise, we work with Hope & Health in Peru. They helped us identify a local carpenter who’s made a corner of his shop available to make small batches of standing frames until a more large-scale and permanent facility can be established.

What role did your intern, Riley Lieber ’16, have this summer? Riley Lieber was an instrumental part of our team this summer. I knew that I was going to need a small team of reliable and dedicated individuals. As I began to piece together the team, I thought back to myself at Kent, and how inspiring it was to use and develop my skills while participating in medical missions. I thought that this project might be a great opportunity to share a similarly

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inspiring opportunity with students. I began the process of selecting a Kent student with the help of Dr. Ben Nadire [the director of the Pre-Engineering Program at Kent]. I’m extremely proud of the contributions that Riley made on the team—not only his knowledge of woodworking and equipment, but also his character and flexibility. It takes a certain kind of person to stay cheerful and focused after sleeping many nights on a dirt floor and waking up next to spiders, with no showers and no running water. Riley was always upbeat and creative when it came to tackling problems related to the design and production techniques. I’m still looking for ways to get more Kent School students involved in future Stand With Me projects. I hope that this trail we’re blazing will positively influence Kent students and other young people to pursue their goals immediately rather than waiting to receive a terminal degree before they start taking ownership of their skills and making a difference in an area that they’re passionate about.

Do you plan to make other kinds of therapeutic devices? We’d first like to concentrate on making our standing frames a success before we begin to evolve our efforts into other kinds of devices. We hope to eventually develop a standing frame for larger children who might grow out of our pediatric standers. We’re also considering working on distributing pediatric walkers for children who are able to progress out of the standing frames and begin walking autonomously. Riley is actually doing an independent study this spring at Kent to design a walker for these children under the guidance of math teacher Matt Austin. We hope to test, refine and begin implementation of his product by early 2017.

Do you plan to make standing frames available in other countries? As of January 2016, we had 125 standers in use in six different countries. By January 2017, we will have more than 500, and by 2020 we hope to have changed 4,000 lives in over 15 countries. We’re planning our third international project in India this coming summer that will serve the local and regional need in southern Asia. We also need to keep our production facilities in Guatemala and Peru well equipped with the resources they need to

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Emilson, who lives in rural Honduras, uses his standing frame 3-5 hours every day. It allows him to be in a better position to observe his surroundings and to draw, one of his favorite activities.

serve their local communities. Our goal is to introduce a production facility on a new continent every year, so that we can systematically reduce the maximum distance between patients and the production sites of the standing frames. Hopefully, by 2020 we will have five full-time production facilities up and running, with other smaller rural centers that are capable of making small batches of standing frames as needed. In this way we can service larger regional needs and support more local and rural communities as well.

How has Christian ministry played a part in your work? Stand With Me uses its work as a Christian ministry to all our patients, volunteers and donors, Christians and non-Christians alike. We welcome patients and volunteers from all walks of life and try to share the basic tenets of Christian charity. We also work closely with many Christian organizations in the field, which has been a great blessing. I am extremely honored and blessed to have had the opportunity to start Stand With Me and to help my friends and patients across the globe get the medical care they so desperately need. For more information about Stand With Me, please contact Scott at scottcmitchell2@gmail.com or visit his website, www.standwithme.org.

The Evolution of Andrei Sakharov’s Thinking BY SERGE SCHMEMANN ’63

DECEMBER 14, 2014, was the twenty-fifth anniversary

of Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov’s death. He holds an honored place in the pantheon of the world’s greatest scientists, reformers, and champions of human rights. I never personally met Sakharov—he was whisked off to internal exile in Gorky soon after I arrived, and returned to Moscow soon after I left. But I did get to know his wife, Elena Bonner, well, and through her, through their hunger strikes, through the dissident trials during my time in Moscow, and through the moral power that Sakharov continued to exert from his isolation in Gorky, he played a central role in my reporting. Still, I find today that defining Sakharov’s exact place in Soviet history is no easy task. As Sakharov himself said so often, “the truth is never simple.” Neither is legacy. Certainly there was no one like him in the dissident movement, no one who rose to such exalted heights and was so prepared to lose everything in support of human rights; nobody who had his combination of activism and modesty, boldness and shyness. His very existence was something of a miracle. A descendant of priests and military officers, he was born to that genteel class of Russian intellectuals and professionals known as the intelligentsia, which through Russian history produced revolutionaries, poets, and scientists convinced that the most important thing was to do something useful.

Much of the old intelligentsia fled after the Russian Revolution. Many of those who survived were caught up in the purges; and if they survived that, there was Andrei Sakharov being interviewed at a 1989 conference of the U.S.S.R. the war. Academy of Sciences. Sakharov survived, and his genius found him a place in the machinery created by Joseph Stalin and Lavrenty Beria to assure Soviet military might. The state needed scientists, and the masters understood that science required not only coercion and threat, but also independence and intellectual freedom. The solution was to seal the scientists in a gilded cage, isolate them in installations closed not only to foreigners but to most Soviet citizens, give them the highest level of privilege and equipment, and make clear that all this was conditional on producing what the state required. Sakharov was a willing member of that system, convinced like so many scientists of the era that they were soldiers on the front lines of a global struggle which required sacrifice and suffering. He never repudiated or regretted creating a weapon of unimaginable power, believing that only a balance of power would prevent its use.

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RIA Novosti archive, image #25981 / Vladimir Fedorenko / CC-BY-SA 3.0

The following is an excerpt from the lead essay in Andrei Sakharov: The Conscience of Humanity, a collection of essays about the life and principles of Soviet dissident and Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov. The collection draws from a 2014 conference held at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University convened by former Secretary of State George P. Shultz and physicist Sidney Drell.

His embrace of human rights did not come through a sudden conversion. Scrupulously honest, and almost naïve in his understanding of politics and power, he came to it in stages. Let me give you a brief chronology of the metamorphosis. First came his concern about the radioactive fallout from atmospheric testing. But in those years, in the 1950s, the concerns were still new, and raising them was possible within the scientific and political elite. These were issues Sakharov could take up directly with Nikita Khrushchev, even though he was at times rebuffed and put in his place for meddling in politics. Then came the Academy of Science elections in 1964 at which Sakharov openly spoke out against accepting an ally of the pseudo-scientist Trofim Lysenko. The Academy of Science, in fact, was probably the closest to a democratic institution in the Soviet state, where full members could still vote to reject a candidate pushed by the Kremlin. So far, Sakharov’s activities were still within the bounds of permissible debate for someone of his standing in the elite. Yet as Sakharov noted in his Memoirs, the academy vote, like the struggle against atmospheric testing, marked another step on the way to becoming active in civic affairs. The turning point for Sakharov, as for the entire dissident movement, came in the mid-1960s. These were years in which Sakharov signed a petition against the rehabilitation of Stalin, followed by a letter against the enactment of the law against defaming the Soviet state, which became the basis for the prosecution of many dissidents, followed by a decision to join in a demonstration on Pushkin Square on Constitution Day. Then came his first letter, this one to Leonid Brezhnev, in support of a dissident, and then his involvement in the movement to save Lake Baikal. What is amazing to realize now is that in those years, Sakharov had such high rank that he could pick up a special phone and directly call the KGB chief, Yuri Andropov, as he did in 1967 to seek the release of the writers Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuli Daniel. These phones, known as vertushka, connected members of the top nomenklatura [chief officials]—I managed to steal one from the Kremlin during the chaos of 1991, and I learned then that the name, vertushka, which means “dial,” comes from the fact that the elite network was the first to use dial phones.

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On that call, Sakharov was told that Sinyavsky and Daniel would be released in a general amnesty, but they never were. Step by step, Sakharov developed what he described as a growing compulsion to speak out on the fundamental issues of the age. Finally, in 1968—that remarkable year of social rebellion the world ’round—Sakharov took the decisive step of putting his thoughts on paper in the milestone essay, “Reflections on Progress, Peaceful Coexistence, and Intellectual Freedom.” The work coincided with a turning point in the development of the dissident movement, the Prague Spring of 1968, the rise and spectacular fall of “socialism with a human face.” “Reflections” defined the direction Sakharov’s activism would take from that point on. For the epigraph, Sakharov chose a line from Goethe: “He alone is worthy of life and freedom / Who each day does battle for them anew.” It was not a call to arms; Sakharov did not declare that struggle and heroic exploits are ends in themselves. They are worthwhile, he wrote, “only insofar as they enable other people to lead normal, peaceful lives.” “The meaning of life is life itself,” he continued, “that daily routine which demands its own form of unobtrusive heroism.” From this moment on, Sakharov’s life moved inexorably toward the recognition of the central importance of openness, justice, and human rights in shaping a normal life. The essay also introduced Sakharov to the West. As his activism gathered pace, he was often perceived by the outside world as a Russian Don Quixote, a tousled, retiring intellectual who had built a doomsday weapon and was now tilting at the windmills of an all-powerful state. But his friends saw a different Sakharov—a brilliant, profound, and courageous thinker who, in his purity of vision, posed a fundamental challenge to the state simply by calling evil by its name and demanding that the state abide by its own laws. After he met and married Elena Bonner, who so effectively complemented his stature and intellect with her experience in resistance and activism, the Sakharovs became a beacon of hope for thousands of people caught up in the arbitrary injustice of totalitarianism. They also became a clearinghouse of information to the outside world. It was enough for Sakharov to appear

at the trial of a dissident and to speak to Western reporters to undermine the elaborately concocted accusations. And it was through Sakharov and Bonner that much of the information about the plight of Jews, Tatars, Germans, Russians, believers, and others came to the attention of the world. It was inevitable that the state would finally act; and, in the end, the great scientist who once had the power to call Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and Andropov on their direct lines was sent into internal exile in an apartment in Gorky, isolated and monitored day and night. In exile he became an even more powerful force, a symbol of nonviolent opposition in the tradition of Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi. But it is important to note that his power was never in some ideology or teachings, not in something that disciples would call Sakharovism, like the moral teachings of Tolstoyism or the Holy Russia of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. His power was in his example, his moral purity, his openness. I ARRIVED IN THE SOVIET UNION as a correspondent on January 1, 1980, and of course one of my priorities was to meet Sakharov. My background is Russian, and we spoke Russian at home and closely followed developments in the Soviet Union. My father, a Russian Orthodox theologian, had a weekly broadcast to the Soviet Union over Radio Liberty, and already as a boy I remember the thrill of the intellectual and creative “thaw” introduced by Nikita Khrushchev, and the Russian movies and records that began to reach America in those years, and the enormous excitement of reading Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. The human-rights movement had unfolded while I was an undergraduate in the 1960s—my campus was on the other side of the continent, and we had no palms— and I followed it with a passion. The year 1980, when I arrived in Moscow as a correspondent, was a low time in U.S.-Soviet relations—not that there had ever been really good times. A few days before our arrival, the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan. Relations with the West plummeted. And with the Moscow Summer Olympics scheduled for that summer, the KGB was hyperactive. Sakharov, of course, was already known in the West as a dissident. His “Reflections” had come out in the West in 1968; in 1970 he and other dissidents had

founded the Committee on Human Rights, he had married Elena Bonner in 1972, and by the time we arrived the dissident movement was Sakharov’s primary occupation, and he was a major thorn in the side of the regime. When I arrived I thought I was ready for the worst. I was friends with George Krimsky, the AP reporter expelled for his close contacts to Sakharov. I thought I knew how the KGB functioned, that every second person was an informer, that we would be listened to and followed. But knowing all this in theory is not the same as seeing it in reality. Nothing really prepared me for what happened January 22. That was the day on which the authorities finally moved against Sakharov. We first heard about it from Liza Alexeyeva. She was the fiancée of Bonner’s son Alexei Semyonov, who had left the Soviet Union, and she managed to get a call to Western reporters as soon as she heard that Sakharov had been seized. I rushed to the apartment building on Chkalov Street where Sakharov lived—it was a stretch of the ring road now again called Zemlyanoi Val. There was already an army of uniformed and plainclothes officers keeping everyone at bay. But it was more than that—it was an extraordinary display of power and paranoia, of a superpower going to extreme lengths to silence just one man. Every telephone, private and public, within a radius of at least a kilometer was cut off, as were the phones of all of Sakharov’s close colleagues. Traffic was stopped in both directions. As the facts came out, we learned that a special Aeroflot flight was assigned to fly Sakharov and Bonner to Gorky, with only a dozen KGB agents on board. Sakharov’s description of the flight is another one of those passages that I find revealing of the man. Someone else in his place might have focused on the drama and horror of the event, but Sakharov noted that so long as he and Lyusia [the name he used for Elena Bonner] were together, “we were actually happy.” And he also notes, “Normally there’s no meal service on short flights, but on this one we were served a first-class dinner.” The extraordinary measures taken by the state to exile Sakharov, including the constant surveillance, the personal jamming station, the innumerable summons and harassments, were a testament to the moral power that Sakharov had come to wield by then. It was also a testament to the fragility of the totalitarian state, which knew instinctively that someone who

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spoke the truth posed an existential threat to the system. There are not many figures in modern history who wielded such power—Nelson Mandela did, and perhaps Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, but who else? By evening, Liza Alexeyeva and Bonner’s formidable mother, Ruth Bonner, a veteran of barricades and the gulag, were allowed to open the door to reporters, and we learned the details—that Sakharov had been stripped of his state awards and flown off to internal exile in Gorky, a city then off-limits to foreigners. Let me also note here that being stripped of his three Hero of Socialist Labor awards was no small matter. This was a very prestigious and important award in the Soviet Union, and it carried a broad range of important benefits

est in my father’s work in America, which involved the Orthodox Church in America. What concerned him was Russia, holy and great. In an article Sakharov wrote in response to Solzhenitsyn’s “Letter to Soviet Leaders,” he warned that politicians who follow in the footsteps of ideologues tend to be more dogmatic and ruthless than their mentors. There’s something prophetic in that warning, given how Vladimir Putin, who was blessed by Solzhenitsyn, has built his politics around the notion of Russian greatness and destiny. It was in the clash with Solzhenitsyn that Andrei Sakharov provided what I think is the best description of himself and his legacy. “I’m no politician, no prophet, and certainly no

His power was in his example, his moral purity, his openness. in pay, housing, and travel. Only 180 people received it twice; a mere sixteen people had three, like Sakharov. The protocol of the award said that if you got it twice, your bust had to be raised in your hometown; if you got it thrice, they were supposed to build a statue in Moscow. None were built for Sakharov in Soviet times. SAKHAROV DID NOT THINK in terms of abstract and grand causes, or of his own role as a symbol or leader. Liza may have been the immediate reason for the hunger strike, he wrote in his Memoirs, “but in a broader sense, it was the consequence of all that had happened to us, including exile in Gorky, and a continuation of my struggle for human rights and the freedom to choose one’s country of residence—not in the abstract, but in a situation in which Lyusia and I had from the beginning felt a direct responsibility.” This is also at the core of the contrast between Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn. They came to it from radically different directions. For Solzhenitsyn, everything he did and everything he expected of other people was subordinate to his mission, which was based on an idealized Russian character and religion. I saw that firsthand when Solzhenitsyn first arrived in the United States, because in the beginning he was very close to my father, an Orthodox theologian. But it soon became clear that Solzhenitsyn had little interSPRING 2016

angel,” he wrote. “What I’ve done and what I am are not the result of any miracle but the natural consequences of what life has made me... It may be a peculiarity of my character, but I’ve never lived in luxury, and I’m not even sure what it is... As I never tire of repeating, life is a complicated thing. “Most important,” he concluded, “I have tried to be true to myself and my destiny.” That is Sakharov’s real legacy: his honesty, his greatness, his genius, his integrity, his compassion for individuals. He did not, alas, leave behind a Russia democratic and free. That may take generations. Hopefully, Andrei Dmitrievich will continue to serve as a beacon and a model for those generations. Reprinted from the book Andrei Sakharov: The Conscience of Humanity, edited by Sidney D. Drell and George P. Shultz, with the permission of the publisher, Hoover Institution Press. Copyright © 2015 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Serge Schmemann ’63 is a member of the editorial board of the New York Times. He joined the Times in 1980 and has worked as a correspondent and bureau chief in Johannesburg, Moscow, Bonn, Jerusalem and the United Nations, and as the editorial page editor of the International Herald Tribune, the global edition of the Times. In 1991 he won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for his coverage of the reunification of Germany.

Finding Passion and Purpose BY JAYDE BENNETT ’09

Jayde Bennett, Senior Prefect of the Class of 2009, returned to Kent in 2014 as Associate Director of Admissions and head coach of girls varsity basketball. Her recent address to the Cum Laude Society follows. IT IS GREAT TO SHARE this special achievement with you all and, I must say, I am honored to be here. I would be remiss if I did not start by thanking Father Schell, Ms. Yammin, and all the educators in the room for fostering an environment in which students are not afraid or embarrassed to think creatively, to take intellectual risks, and—most important—to excel. As a student, I know it can be hard to appreciate while you are in it and, in some cases, struggling through it, but hopefully a couple of years down the line you will all come to think of Kent as a special place. I know I have—and what a gift it has been to be a part of this community over the years. To the honorees in the room, I offer my congratulations. I remember quite vividly how hard it was to get here—late nights and early mornings spent finishing assignments or studying, Saturdays in the library instead of out on club fields or at the neon-themed dance— you’ve all had to sacrifice a lot to be where you are today and that is commendable. You should all be very proud. It’s a bit fuzzy, but I can remember being in your shoes just seven years ago. After each indicator, I would sit down and calculate the grade I needed to get in each class so I could raise my GPA by 0.1. I would set goals for each class, never satisfied, and make sure I was always competing with myself to get to that next level. I was, in more ways than one, obsessed. As scholars, I think we are all aware of the abundance of opportunity made available to us through education. On some level we all know that doing well in high school will lead to great college prospects and doing well in college

will lead to great career prospects, and so on. Because of this, I think we tend to put a lot of value in and emphasis on those grades or the GPA. So much so that they become the end goal and, at times, it can be easy to lose sight of the true value in what we are learning. What I have come to understand over the years is that the real value in what we learn is how we apply it in real-world situations. During my freshman year at Colby College, I went in having absolutely no idea what I wanted to study. I think the beauty of a liberal arts education is that you can take a plethora of classes, and somewhere along the way, the hope is, you figure it out. So, I took every course imaginable: Contemporary Detective Fiction, Intermediate Spanish, Introduction to Government, History of Yugoslavia and so many more. I did fairly well in all of these courses, with the exception of History of Yugoslavia—I had zero idea what was going on in the course and it absolutely killed my GPA. I think I got my first and last C+ in that class. Anyway, and this is in no way a knock on Colby or the educators there, but I cannot tell you one thing that I learned in any of those classes. At the time, I spent countless hours learning the material, preparing for the tests, but, once they were over, I would forget everything I learned. It wasn’t until my second semester of freshman year when I took a sociology course called Social Inequality and Power that this all changed. Everyone told me that the class would be an easy A, which, after that C+ in history, I desperately needed, so I went in fairly optimistic. I had no idea the impact the class would have on me. The

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course examined the ever-changing social landscape in which we live, using history to explain shifts in levels of inequality and social mobility in the United States. Using Charles Tilly’s theoretical framework—which states that in order to develop an understanding of contemporary inequalities we must first look at them from an historical perspective—we learned how systematic inequalities arise in the U.S. and come to define individuals and groups in society. If you have time, I suggest you read some of his work; it is truly fascinating. As you can imagine, the class consisted of a lot of reading, research papers and class discussions; however, what made this class different from all the others was the culminating class project. As a class, we were tasked with putting all that we had learned that semester—ethnographic research, qualitative and quantitative analysis, transcription, coding—and putting it to use with real people; high

provide me with access to a quality Kent education, who knows where I would be? It is still so difficult for me to put simply what that class did for me—in many ways, it changed my life and helped me find my passion and purpose: helping kids that were just like me gain access to quality education. After this class, as you can imagine, I went on to take more sociology courses, expanding my interests a bit and adding education courses and gender studies courses, all while applying the material in my day-to-day life. I began to volunteer at the local schools, tutoring and mentoring kids in my free time. After graduating, I took a job working at a Level Four Turnaround school in Boston as a 4th grade math teacher. The best part, though, is that I don’t think I will ever stop pursuing this passion. I am 24 years old now, almost 25, and I can assure you that the grades I earned in high school and college

“What I have come to understand over the years is that the real value in what we learn is how we apply it in real-world situations.” school–aged kids to be exact. In collaboration with the local high school, our research analyzed the relationship between socioeconomic status, educational opportunities and post–high school trajectories. In other words, we wanted to know how money and education predict where one goes or what one does after high school. We spent weeks creating social surveys and questionnaires, interviewing high school students, teachers and coaches, transcribing interviews and coding data. Then we spent weeks combing through this data, searching for emerging patterns. And after that we used our findings to write 25- to 30-page papers. I think I ended up with an A– in that class, but that wasn’t really what I took away from it. What I got was a greater appreciation for the material because it was applicable. As I mentioned before, as scholars, we all have a basic understanding of what education can do for us. For me, however, this class was particularly eye-opening because I could have just as easily been one of those kids who were unlikely to move on to college. Without my incredible single mother, who worked tirelessly to

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most certainly don’t matter. Rather, what I learned in the pursuit of those grades—that has been the most valued part of my education. If you leave here remembering nothing else, remember this: your hard work does not stop here. While this achievement is certainly commendable, it should also serve as encouragement. Encouragement to never stop learning, to never stop exploring your passions, and, perhaps most important, to never stop excelling. However, continue to do so keeping in mind that what you do with what you learn is just as important as what you learn. To borrow from a fellow educator at one of our peer institutions, “True scholars strive to help us all discover greater truth, by working collaboratively and putting their discoveries into the service of humanity.” I can only assume that all of you are taking AP exams this week, which means at some point you will be doing projects. I encourage you to take these projects seriously and explore the many ways in which you can put what you have learned throughout the course of the year to use in your day-today life.

Between the Hills and River Shore

Students visited Bloomberg Headquarters in New York, accompanied by Julie Saxton of the Entrepreneurship Program, faculty member Brian Sullivan, and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Cataldo. Kent acquired a Bloomberg Terminal in 2015.

Entrepreneurship & Finance BY JULIE SAXTON KENT STUDENTS ARE BOLD and bright, and they think of new products and services every day. I am the lucky one who helps them convert their ideas into solutions. Yes, they have to balance their classes, sports and club commitments; they may want to bring Starbucks coffee to campus but then learn that they can’t manage a booming morning business when they have math during A Block. But is there a better time to take a calculated risk and learn by doing? I encourage them to jump in with both feet and assure them that there’s a payoff for being daring right now. When students combine their entrepreneurial ventures with finance and business basics, they achieve a broader understanding of the business world that will be helpful whether or not they pursue a business career.

Entrepreneurship at Kent began in the spring of 2014 with ten students who started their own businesses. They wrote business plans and pitched their ideas to the School in order to secure startup funds, which had to be paid back before any profits were taken. They had the chance to experience real business tasks, including every job in the company from R&D to the mail room. One afternoon, they practiced their “elevator pitches” by riding in an elevator with a Harvard Business School alumnus and explaining their business in a compelling way before he arrived at his floor. And, much like the entrepreneurs on the show Shark Tank, students honed their presentation skills and presented their ideas to area business owners for a chance at prize money on top of their business profits. Students are

encouraged to donate a portion of their profits to one of the community service groups on campus, and many have done so. Modest ventures such as starting a delivery business on campus or selling ice cream at School baseball games are a great way to test for future business interests, but we also wanted to weave an introduction to finance into this growing program. Kent became a member school in the Wharton Investment Competition in the winter of 2015 and had forty-eight students in teams managing $100,000 “virtual” portfolios, which are invested in OTIS, Wharton’s Online Trading and Investment Simulator. Students researched equities and learned the reasons for diversification while writing strategy pieces. In the winter of 2016, this exciting game became one of Kent’s most popular winter pastimes

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The ideas they create today, with support and encouragement, will give students the ability to recognize opportunities and the confidence to act on them tomorrow. with ninety-eight students participating. To build on and formalize finance education, Kent partnered with Samantha Cross of Square One Financial Ed to bring the basics of financial literacy to campus. In this five-part Sunday afternoon series, Samantha taught us about banking, budgeting, investing, debt and credit, and finance for entrepreneurship. Samantha worked for thirteen years in investment banking and shared her passion for the subject with more than fifty Kent students. The newest addition to the program is perhaps the most exciting. This winter Kent partnered with Bloomberg LP to bring a Bloomberg Terminal to the John

Gray Park ’28 Library. This is the same real-time source of financial data used on Wall Street, and it allows our investment teams to research news and historic data on companies. Students can become Bloomberg Certified through the successful completion of Bloomberg Market Concepts, a 10-hour online, self-paced class. This spring a group visited the company’s headquarters in Manhattan and met with their analysts and economic specialists. It takes creativity and collaboration to launch a business. How do students develop an entrepreneurial mindset? With time and space to imagine, invent,

experiment, and adapt right here in the Valley, where they build skills to bring to any experience. The ideas they create today, with support and encouragement, will give students the ability to recognize opportunities and the confidence to act on them tomorrow. Julie Saxton worked in consulting after graduating from Bowdoin College. She taught chemistry at Kent beginning in 2003 and now designs the School’s website and manages its social media channels in addition to developing a new entrepreneurship program.

A few recent student business ventures: — Seeing that students had to walk into town to buy ice cream cones, Sally Ngoje ’15 (left) set up an ice cream stand on campus on sunny spring days. — Keanu Hilaire ’15 saw a need to charge cell phones on the run, and designed and built a charger that draws power from a 9V battery. — Brunna Torino ’17 set up a delivery service for students, picking up items in town and delivering them to their dorm rooms. — Prim Sirisuwannatash ’16 saw the lack of interesting flowers offered for prom corsages and boutonnieres, and launched a business selling orchids. — Mary Nanna ’16 noticed that the Stat Store sold fairly simple sports bras and marketed one specifically designed for athletes.

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Significant renovations in 1993 and 2002 updated and expanded the library to suit changing student needs, including the addition of group study rooms, modern network access, and more seating for student use. (2014 photo of students on Poem in Your Pocket Day)

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Our Library in the 21st Century BY AMY MEYER CAPEN VOORHEES

to have a longstanding commitment to a successful library program, graced by the generosity of community members over time. These foundational contributors recognized that libraries provide resources and quiet space for work, but at their heart they are also places for collaboration—between those who are working together, or between an individual and the ideas he or she is pursuing. In particular, a school library is a space that allows students to absorb and integrate the essential work that happens in the classroom in order to make it their own. Sometimes this integration is straightforward, such as when a student comes in to complete a math problem set or read a few chapters in a novel for English class. But other opportunities a library provides are more intangible, though no less important. A student who prefers to study alone sees others studying in groups or working with peer tutors, and how they challenge each other and keep one another focused on the subject at hand. Conversely, students who are very social observe the dedicated focus of those who enter the library, choose an individual carrel and get down to work without distraction. Students also see teachers and other students checking out books to read at their leisure, demonstrating in real time the value they place on reading for pleasure and personal growth. The John Gray Park ’28 library is an integral part of life at Kent today, providing resources and helpful staff to support members of the community as they go

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about the daily work of school and life. If you haven’t visited recently, you’ll be reassured to know that our physical space looks inviting and familiar, with books lining the shelves, quiet study carrels, and an air of studious intent throughout. But you won’t be surprised to learn that in other ways life in a library is changing rapidly. If you stop into the John Gray Park ’28 Library today, you might find any or all of the following: > Upper formers in AP U.S. Government and Politics researching Supreme Court cases and their judicial and legislative histories; > Students throughout the space preparing for classes later in the day or week; > A table of students in the main reading room collaborating on a poster project for a science class; > A librarian working with a class to introduce the best resources for a project; > A student using the newly installed Bloomberg Terminal to access realtime financial data and complete a training certification; > Students and faculty members browsing our collection of new arrivals—both fiction and nonfiction— for something to read for pleasure; > A teacher tucking student essays inside books scattered throughout the collection—forcing her students to use the catalog to find the exact book that holds their work so they can get their feedback and grade;

> A pair of students coming in to borrow the script for the spring musical, on reserve at the library help desk. We are all familiar with the explosion of digital content that enriches and distracts us from our daily lives. Indeed, even speaking about library resources as “content” is evidence of a shift in our thinking about scholarly and literary work, which not long ago existed primarily in print formats curated by academic journals, editors at publishing houses, and journalists working on press-driven deadlines. Print technology has served us very well and will continue to do so, but students arriving at Kent today were born between 1998 and 2001 and are increasingly unfamiliar with the delivery of news in a daily paper or other print media— some, quite frankly, have never used the index feature of a book. While their school years do still include reading in print and carrying heavy textbooks, they are also likely to bring with them informationseeking skills that include navigating iPad apps to practice math problems, using online systems such as Rosetta Stone for foreign language practice, and searching digital databases for project-based learning assignments. Our challenge in the library and across the School is to meet these “digital natives” where they are, which means working in a learning environment that provides both the latest in digital technologies for research and exploration, and values the

For many years the boys enjoyed a library in Middle Dorm, which expanded to include two floors of library space with the installation of internal stairs in 1949. (Photo from 1954)

We view nurturing curiosity as a vital part of what a library can offer to any community. lasting importance of what is still—or in some cases only—available in print. The John Gray Park staff, as well as our trained student tutors each evening during study hall, engage students in dialogue about their work on a daily basis and seek to help them master the fundamentals of research and inquiry: the discipline required to select and narrow a thesis, the persistence needed to locate appropriate resources, and the discernment necessary to evaluate what they find in those resources. These skills are critical not only for success in any individual project at Kent, but also as preparation for their imminent university studies and for life as an educated person. 20

We view nurturing curiosity as a vital part of what a library can offer to any community. Through displays, programming, selection of new materials, and curation of the existing collection, we strive to challenge students to consider the value of the written record of scholarship and literature in all subjects, and from diverse viewpoints. A library can render knowledge visible in ways that are vital for a school community, particularly in a space as beautiful as ours. We are lucky to have a wonderful bookstore in town, but the ability to browse an extensive physical collection is a truly special gift a school like Kent can give its students. The growth over a

student’s years here is a spectacular and exciting thing to watch, and our community is well served by feeding the academic, physical, spiritual and emotional journey of all students through exposure to the breadth of intellectual work available today. Our task is to channel student curiosity toward materials which will expand their understanding of the subject at hand, and invite them to explore further. When libraries were print dominated, choosing resources produced a representation of the best of a field. In our digital age the vast reaches of any subject can be summoned with a touch, shifting the burden of selection to the researcher. The abundance of resources can be overwhelming, and helping to provide context and ease connection to the most useful materials is a crucial role for libraries today. We prioritize research right from the start of a student’s time in the valley, initially through the New Student Seminar course (NSS) required of all 3rd and new 4th formers. This graded class is the modern incarnation of Bill Armstrong’s legendary General Studies and gives students instruction in time management, study skills, and research skills, with hands-on practice at and discussion of thesis development, resource selection, academic integrity, and persuasive writing. Many students come to Kent not yet having had the experience of writing a thesis-driven research paper wherein they KENT QUARTERLY

1955 renovations to the Schoolhouse Assembly Room created the existing library space, now named for John Gray “Bronx” Park ’28, longtime librarian. (Photo from 1956)

Today’s student experiences our library as a place for exploration, for academic immersion, and for collaboration of all kinds.

are required to support a position with credible expert evidence. Gathering and analyzing such evidence is very challenging for a 14-year-old, who may not yet feel confident in his or her grasp of the subject or the use of evidence in an argument. This course is the student’s first exposure to the library’s resources, and as they move through the curriculum at Kent, the projects they encounter in multiple departments will bring them back for increasingly sophisticated assignments and papers. From thesis arguments in history, to analytical and responsive writing in English, to philosophical dissection in theology, to evidence-based exploration in science, students will have multiple opportunities to engage with the work of others they find in the library’s resources. New Student Seminar assures that all students leave with an understanding of the skills they will need to succeed SPRING 2016

in college and as lifelong learners in an information-saturated society. Answering questions such as, “is my thesis plausible and defensible?” or “is this professor’s blog post a ‘scholarly’ publication I can cite in my paper?” or “how do I find the best journals for organic chemistry?” is invaluable practice for a time when they need to rely on the work of others to succeed in higher level study or career and professional roles. Learning to immerse oneself in a subject, and to research it thoroughly, is a skill that improves with practice—repeated application of search, evaluation, integration and analysis—and our students can only flourish in this process with the guidance of teachers who craft assignments that challenge them to try, and give them essential feedback with each attempt. We aim to support this work by maintaining a collection, both print and digital, that aligns with the curriculum and by organiz-

ing the vast resources we offer in a manner that invites easy exploration and provides help when needed. Here at Kent, as in many of the best educational institutions, the library serves a multitude of functions for members of the School community. Today’s student experiences our library as a place for exploration, for academic immersion, and for collaboration of all kinds. By the end of a student’s career at Kent we hope that the library will have made a positive contribution to his or her education no matter how frequently or infrequently the student may have entered the space, and we invite all alumni to come in and enjoy the library again whenever they return to enjoy our beautiful campus in the years following graduation. Amy Meyer Capen Voorhees is the director of the John Gray Park ’28 Library.

Art Survey Students Portray Nobel Peace Prize Laureates OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF,

students in Art Survey classes created portraits of Nobel Peace Prize winners, each class working on a different stage of this collaborative project. Students in one class selected the Nobel laureates to portray and completed detailed, representation pencil drawings, while another class worked with partners to choose specific colors to represent peace, forgiveness, respect and understanding, and completed the watercolor enhancements of the original drawings. For example, blue-violet, for respect, was selected for Tawakkol Karman’s lips because “we show respect for each other through our words.” Each

team also wrote a statement to highlight the achievements of the prize winners and explain the colors selected. Art Department Chair Jenna Lynch commented that she and art teacher Lisa Brody “designed this project, involving over one hundred students, to introduce our students to the significance of the Nobel Peace Prize. It is always exciting to reveal to students how art can be influenced by a wide range of ideas—that it is inherently interdisciplinary. We wanted our students to both learn about the important achievements of such virtuous people, and also learn how to draw, think conceptually and work collaboratively. We wanted

to encourage our students to consider how they could work to further peace, respect and understanding in our world. Too often courageous, creative and dedicated work to serve others and find peaceful solutions is unknown, while the horrors of man’s inhumanity to man are highly publicized. If this project and exhibit gave our community hope, then it was successful.” These paintings and their accompanying statements, along with those of many other Nobel laureates and inspiring leaders, were on display during the winter and spring terms in the Walkway Gallery adjacent to Mattison Auditorium.

THIS PAGE, LEFT

MIDDLE ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT

Muhammad Yunus: Bangladeshi founder

Jimmy Carter: Former president of the United States recognized for his work finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, campaigning for human rights and working for social welfare— by Theo Christian ’15, Evan Weig ’16 and Siang Wongrattanapiboon ’16

of Grameen Bank, which provided small loans to the poor and helped create economic and social development in Bangladesh—by Dametrius Brown ’14, Aayush Shah ’17 and Pete Watcharawasutara ’16 From the statement on Muhammad Yunus: “We used yellow and green for the face because the face comprised most of the portrait, and we thought respect and understanding were the two main virtues in Yunus, as he respected everyone, regardless of their background, and was very understanding of the needy. We picked purple for the lips as forgiveness generally comes with speech. His eyes in the picture looked very calm and peaceful; hence, we picked blue, which was our color for peace. While keeping the important virtues in mind, we wanted to make sure the colors would contrast with each other, giving importance to each part of the portrait.”

Tawakkol Karman: Yemeni journalist and human rights activist; founder of Women Journalists without Chains—by Joni Leung ’15, Kayla Mozeson ’16 and Juliana Tardif ’17 Nelson Mandela: South African human rights activist; worked for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime and helped lay the foundation for a new democratic South Africa—by Khadim Seye ’14, Kevin Sujanto ’17, Sandro Tkeshelashvili ’17

BOTTOM ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT Malala Yousafzai: Pakistani activist for education

FACING PAGE, TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT Mother Teresa: Founder of Missionaries of Charity, which provided care for orphans, lepers and the terminally ill in Calcutta—by Ian Garland ’15 and Jessica Choi ’16

Albert Schweitzer: French-German humanitarian and physician; founder of a hospital in west central Africa—by Efe Oflaz ’14, Isabelle Constant ’17 and Prim Sirisuwannatash ’16 Leymah Gbowee: Liberian peace activist; founder of Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace movement—by Canvas Li ’15, Olivia Paxton ’16 and Lucy Wemyss ’16

for girls—by Brandon Fong ’16, Lydia Griggs-Demmin ’17 and Samantha Fitzgerald ’16

George Marshall: American originator of the European Recovery Program (“The Marshall Plan”), which supported Western Europe after World War II and aided in its economic recovery—by Victoria Scott ’15, Tony Zhang ’16 and Eddie Yang ’16 Aung San Suu Kyi: Burmese human rights activist; a founder of the National League for Democracy—by Pataris Chaipromsathis ’16, Callie Celestin ’17 and Donal Lowsley-Williams ’17

KENT QUARTERLY

SPRING 2016

Alumni Speakers on Campus

Isaac Chen ’16, Erin Evans ’06, Julia Smith Willman ’06 and Michael Lim ’18, president of the Kent Biology Club

visited the Engineering Design classes during the fall term to speak about his work designing prosthetic arms. A product development director at Liberating Technologies Inc., in Holliston, Massachusetts, Walley helped design the Boston Elbow, “the first battery-powered prosthetic elbow to restore function to upper extremity amputees.” Walley discussed not only the particular challenges of his work, but also suggested ways to tackle any engineering design challenge, emphasizing how writing helps to clarify one’s thoughts and define the problem.

T. WALLEY WILLIAMS ’50

returned to campus in January to speak in Chapel about drug abuse and its prevention, focusing on the experience of his son, William, who died due to an accidental drug overdose in 2012. In the years since William’s death, Bill and his wife, Margot, established the Where There’s a Will Fund to educate people about addiction and to remove the shame that surrounds the disease. They have spoken at the U.S. Senate

BILL WILLIAMS ’65

Gar Flickinger ’91

Forum on Addiction and more recently at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. During his visit, Bill also visited two AP Psychology classes, answering questions about the effects of various drugs, particularly as they relate to brain development. The full text of his Chapel Talk can be viewed at bit.ly/1RLZXFa.

ration with professionals from Georgia Tech, Westchester Airport (New York) and FlightSafety International at their Teterboro facility in New Jersey. Trustee Bruce Whitman ’51, CEO of FlightSafety, provided the impetus for this new program and helped develop the professional resources.

GAR FLICKINGER ’91 , a pilot for UPS, spoke with students in the PreEngineering Center about the field of aviation and shared stories about his career, beginning as a pilot in the Alaska wilderness to his current job, which takes him around the world. There are many opportunities for young people interested in becoming pilots, as the industry expects an unprecedented number of retirements over the next 20 years. Throughout his presentation, Gar conveyed his love of flying, which began as a young boy and continues to this day. Even after a 25-year career, he still looks forward to his next flight. Gar will return to campus in June to supervise SEEK Aviation, a weeklong program carried out in collabo-

ERIN EVANS ’06

was invited back to campus by the Kent Biology Club to share with students her experiences pursuing a career in the sciences. A 2010 graduate of Hamilton College with a BS in neuroscience, Erin completed her MS in biomedical sciences at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in 2012, and is completing her fourth year of medical school at LECOM. Erin spoke about how Kent prepared her for her studies at Hamilton and LECOM and answered questions about her work in clinical research and her upcoming residency.

KENT QUARTERLY

Alina Xiao ’17 after her performance with the Danbury Symphony Orchestra

Alina Xiao ’17 Wins Concerto Competition won the Danbury Symphony Orchestra’s Student Concerto Competition in November, an annual competition that draws talented young musicians from Western Connecticut. She was selected as one of nine finalists based on a tape she submitted earlier in the fall that was recorded in the digital recording studio in the Center for Music Studies at Kent. In January Alina was the featured soloist at a concert held at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, where she played the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor. Alina studies piano with Margarita Nuller, a graduate of St. Petersburg Conservatory, Russia, and a piano instructor at Kent.

ALINA XIAO ’17

SPRING 2016

Cassidy Tibbetts ’16 (l) and Mary Nanna ’16 (r) with Director of Community Service Megan Sokolnicki

Sixth Formers Receive President’s Volunteer Service Award At the Fall Awards Assembly, sixth formers Mary Nanna and Cassidy Tibbets were honored as Kent’s first recipients of the President’s Volunteer Service Award for their exceptional commitment to community service. The award was established to encourage people of all ages to live a life of service. In 2015 Kent was chosen as a nominating school for the honor, which recognizes high school students who complete a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer work during the school year. MARY NANNA ’16 has been involved with community service at Kent since she arrived as a fourth former. In the last year alone she volunteered with Outreach 360 in the Dominican Republic, where she taught English and other subjects to disadvantaged children; worked with Habitat

for Humanity rebuilding homes destroyed during Hurricane Sandy in Queens, New York; helped students at Harlem Academy, founded by Vinny Dotoli ’87; and coached local youth basketball teams. CASSIDY TIBBETTS ’16 has shown a similar commitment to volunteer work throughout her four-year Kent career. During her fifth form year she tutored local elementary school children after school; served as co-president of REACH (Remember Every Action Can Help), Kent’s largest community service group, leading and participating in numerous activities; volunteered at an area soup kitchen, food bank, animal shelter and nursing home; and volunteered with Outreach 360 in the Dominican Republic.

Model UN Club Earns Recognition BY SIERRA THOMSEN

Model United Nations has evolved dramatically over the past twenty years. While the fundamental skills remain the same—consensus building, political negotiation, persuasive argumentation, and public speaking—the goal of crafting sustainable solutions to global problems has broadened as conference organizers and students strive to apply key negotiating skills to increasingly challenging scenarios. At recent conferences Kent delegates have flourished in traditional committees as well as in more advanced creative situations. At the Johns Hopkins Model United Nations Conference in February, Bryan Chong ’17, acting as the representative from Nicaragua in a mock meeting of the Human Rights Council, rose to the challenge of debating two important issues: cultural relativism vs. universalism, exploring the conflict between local interests and international law; and

Bryan Chong ’17 with his Outstanding Delegate certificate

The Model UN Club at Columbia University in January

human rights abuses by UN and NATO peacekeeping troops. Over the course of four days in a room with close to 50 other students representing countries from around the world, Bryan was able to identify and lead a coalition of fellow delegates in a debate that balanced the importance of state sovereignty with the utility of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His deft negotiating skills helped guide the committee towards more moderate solutions and also earned him recognition as Outstanding Delegate in this committee. While each Model UN committee is unique and challenging in its own way, the most difficult ones are the Ad Hoc Committees. Delegates for these committees are selected through a rigorous application process. Cassidy Tibbetts ’16, Best Delegate winner at the Columbia University conference in January, rose to the occasion on one of these committees at the Johns Hopkins conference. Presented with a general idea of her topic only 24 hours in advance of her first committee session, she spent the day leading up to the conference becoming an expert in internal contemporary Russian politics. It wasn’t until she walked into the first

conference session that she learned which politician she would be representing, what that person’s prerogatives were, and what issues were on the agenda. Experiences like this test our students’ knowledge of contemporary issues around the globe, force our students to rely on their research skills and persuasive speaking, and encourage teamwork. In this case Cassidy relied on the assistance of fellow Model UN members Sergei Kuzmichev ’17 and Sandro Tkeshelashvili ’17 to bring her up to speed on the politics of Russia and the Caucasus. The topics debated in Model UN always reveal larger questions about human rights, sovereignty and power, while the students who engage in these debates put into play a myriad of skills. It is not enough to know the issues, to be a good public speaker, to understand social and political consensus building, or to be a creative problem solver; one needs all of these to bring home the coveted Best Delegate gavel. History teacher Sierra Thomsen is the faculty advisor to the Model UN Club.

KENT QUARTERLY

The Model UN Club Interviews:

Tom Sanderson, Kent’s Visiting Fellow in International Relations Tom Sanderson, Director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., returned to Kent in February under the auspices of the Cyrus R. Vance ’35 Lecture. The theme of the Vance Lecture is the prevention and resolution of violent conflict in our world. On the evening before his four presentations to the School community, Sanderson, who is Kent’s Visiting Fellow in International Relations, met with a small group of students and faculty at Cumming House, where members of the Model UN Club had the opportunity to speak with him and ask questions. If, as you say, it takes a sudden crisis to make people respond, how do you see the world addressing the problem of climate change, which is slow moving?

I do think there are going to be some sudden catastrophic effects that will make people wake up and start to act. But acting is really painful and expensive. Wringing carbon dioxide out of the world economy is really hard to do. That’s where technology comes in. I think it’s going to be a combination of catastrophic weather, failed harvests, massive starvation, combined with technological advances that will get us there—disasters that prompt people to move and to put money into R&D that can suddenly make every car get 100 miles per gallon, that can remove methane gas, make it inert, that can do all sorts of things. Make every single rooftop and every car chassis from photovoltaics, or some new material, that absorbs the sun and within an hour everything is powered. Is China willing to invest in renewable energy even though now they are one of the biggest users of coal?

75% of China’s total energy is high sulfur, low quality coal. They have it; it’s cheap, and back to the issue of China rising, they need to do that on the cheapest fuel possible to continue to grow. If they suddenly switch to all-renewable energy, the cost SPRING 2016

would be massive and growth would be very hard… In order to grow as fast as they can, they need the cheapest energy possible… They would like to get out of the coal business, or reduce it, but renewables are expensive. Has the African Union been effective in dealing with terrorism?

The African Union was effective in Mali, but there are very few regional or multinational efforts in Africa that are effective. It’s really hard—anywhere in the world— to get countries to work together because of sovereignty issues—Who’s going to pay for it? Who gets credit for x, y, and z? There are always ethnic rivalries and national rivalries. What is the role of the French in Africa?

It’s very important. Some of the problems are legacy problems from France having 18 colonies in Africa, but right now, on a very tactical, short-term level, they are absolutely essential. There are 3500 troops there, mostly Special Forces, and they are the only ones capable of pursuing Al Qaeda and others across the region. They’re the only ones with the military skill.

influence from traditional Muslim and Arab lands… Bring down unbelieving, illegitimate Muslim leaders in their countries… They don’t believe that corrupt governments should be in charge of the land of the two holy places... Free those countries from those influences (drugs, sex, alcohol, Western influences) so that Islam can be practiced as it was in the time of the Prophet, who died in 632… So that is the beauty in the eyes of ISIS of establishing the Islamic State—They’ve created a state inside of which they are hitting the reset button on Islam. Is there any good news out there?

HIV, without a doubt. Antiretroviral drugs are widely available and cheaper. There’s a reduction in lots of countries. Hunger is down from 850 million people to 790 million today, and that’s with a population increase. Access to health care in a lot of places is improving. Transparency in some countries is improving. But I would absolutely say, and I’m not from the “good news department” at CSIS, there are far more negative trends in this world… though I do see technology developing to solve or to treat a lot of the problems we have today.

What is it that the terrorists want?

Tom Sanderson’s entire four-part presentation

Generally speaking, if you’re talking about violent Sunni Jihadists or terrorists, what many of them want is to eject Western

may be viewed at www.GoBleachers.com/kent. (For more information see page 39.)

Fall and Winter Term Athletics Highlights Fall The team placed 2nd at the Division II New England Championships. John LePino ’17 finished in 1st place at the New England Championships, setting a new course record. During the season LePino set a new home course record of 16:38, breaking the existing record by 20 seconds. Liam Harris ’16 placed 2nd at the NEPSAC All-Star Cross Country race and 4th at the New England Championships.

Emmanuel Twumasi ’16 earned High School All-American honors and was named the 2015–16 Gatorade Connecticut Boys Soccer Player of the Year. He is also a two-time First Team All-Western New England Prep School Soccer Association selection. Twumasi holds the school record for career goals (82) and set a new single-season record (29). Steve Robey was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association.

GIRLS VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY

Winter

BOYS VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY

The team set new school records for most goals in a season (73) and most goals scored in a game (12), and tied the school record of 7 shut-outs in a season. The team earned a spot in the Class A New England Tournament. Tina Paolillo ’18 set a new school record for most points in a season: 24 goals and 9 assists for 57 points. FOOTBALL

Deshawn Stevens ’16 was named defensive MVP of the Erickson League.

BOYS VARSITY SOCCER

BOYS BASKETBALL

The varsity team received a bid to the New England Class A Tournament. Five members of the varsity squad were named to All-New England Teams: Maxime Boursiquot ’16 (First Team), Co-Captain Jack Stevens ’16 (Second Team), Jamil Gambari ’16 (Hon. Mention), Co-Captain Kena Gilmour ’16 (Hon. Mention), and Kylan Guerra ’16 (Hon. Mention). The Kent Basketball program was named the winner of the 2015–16

Sportsmanship Award, awarded by the Connecticut High School Basketball Officials Association. This award is given not just to a team but to an entire program—Varsity, JV, and Thirds players, managers, and coaches. GIRLS VARSITY ICE HOCKEY

The team won the Founders League for the third year in a row and made it to the semi-final round of the NEPSAC Division 1 Tournament. BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING

Brett Cataldo ’16, captain of the diving squad, won the New England Division II Diving Championship. At the Division II swimming championships Mitea Uenishi ’17 took first in the 100-yard breast stroke, co-captain Noah Burhance ’16 placed second in the 500yard freestyle, and the 200-yard medley relay placed second (Jojo Idris ’17, Mitea Uenishi ’17, Tiger Fan ’18, co-captain Eddie Yang ’16).

KENT QUARTERLY

SPRING 2016

Capt. Dawson, Capt. Doherty, Mrs. Carter, Vice Admiral Carter, Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Sarah Ross, and Kayla Boden

Head of the U.S. Naval Academy Visits Kent to have Vice Admiral Walter E. “Ted” Carter Jr., the 62nd superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, on campus to meet with students and faculty and tour the campus. Vice Admiral Carter was joined by his wife, Mrs. Linda Carter, and by several representatives of the U.S. Navy, including the commanding officer of the Naval Academy Preparatory School, Capt. Mike Doherty, USN; Capt. William R. Dawson SC, USN (Ret.), the executive vice president for engagement of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association; and Lt. Kayla Barron, a 2010 graduate of the Academy now serving in the Navy submarine service. Kent has a decades-long tradition of sending graduates to the U.S. Naval Academy, as well as a longstanding relationship with the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, which sends Foundation Scholars to Kent School for a post-graduate year before being given an appointment to the Academy. This year, Kent is proud to have two Foundation Scholars in the sixth form. KENT WAS HONORED

Science teacher Steve Robey, Dean of Students Cathe Mazza, General Jay W. Kelley, President, Falcon Foundation USAFA, Bruce Whitman ’51, Falcon Scholars Summer Buckshaw ’16 and Liam Smith ’16, General Howard Chandler, Falcon Foundation, Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Sarah Ross, Director of Studies Diana Yammin, and Headmaster Dick Schell

Falcon Foundation Visits Kent REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FALCON FOUNDATION visited campus in October and met with Kent’s Falcon Scholars, Summer Buckshaw ’16 and Liam Smith ’16. Kent is one of only seven prep schools affiliated with the Falcon Foundation, whose purpose is to provide scholarships to exceptional young men and women seeking admission to the United States Air Force Academy for a post-graduate year. Kent Trustee Bruce Whitman ’51 has served as a Trustee of the Falcon Foundation. In 2014–15, the inaugural year of the Falcon Foundation program at Kent, three Falcon Scholars attended Kent and are now in their first year at the United States Air Force Academy.

KENT QUARTERLY

Nadire and O’Dwyer Awarded Faculty Chairs has been awarded the Judith B. and Howard B. Wentz, Jr. Teaching Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies. Appointed to the faculty in 1997, Dr. Nadire is the director of the Pre-Engineering Program and a member of the Math Department, where he teaches Calculus and Post-Calculus. He is also the coordinator of the Summer Educational Experience at Kent (SEEK) Program in Pre-Engineering and Entrepreneurship, which partners with professionals from the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and Georgia Tech. In developing the Pre-Engineering and SEEK Programs, Dr. Nadire has drawn from a number of different academic disciplines in order to broaden the students’ experience. Dr. Nadire holds a BA from the Université Mohammed V, an MA and a Doctorat de Troisième Cycle from the Université de Montpellier, and a PhD in Optimal Control Theory from Northeastern University. DR. BEN NADIRE

has been awarded the Clifton K. Loomis Teaching Chair in English. Appointed to the faculty in 2006, Mrs. O’Dwyer teaches fifth and sixth form English, including Advanced Placement English. She has been the faculty advisor to the Kent News since 2006. After graduating from Groton School, Mrs. O’Dwyer earned a BA magna cum laude from Colby College and an MFA from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. The Clifton K. Loomis Teaching Chair, established in 2007 in memory of longtime English teacher Cliff Loomis, recognizes excellence in teaching. MRS. CATE O’DWYER

Learning by Design the Structures and Design class designed and built an 8' x 8' shed, a project that allowed them to see firsthand how the mathematical principles studied in class contribute to the overall strength of a building. After first sketching their design by hand, students created computer models using SolidWorks 3D design software, and then, wielding hammers and saws, built a shed together at the end of the term. Their structure was then donated to a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

DURING THE WINTER TERM

SPRING 2016

Legacy Students

TOP LEFT front row: Lindsay Moller ’17 (F: Eric ’86), Theo ’16 and Lucy ’18 Freidenrich (M: Amy Macartney ’87), Julia Chute ’18 (F: Stewart ’76) and Ryann Mushkin (F: Scott ’87). Back row: Randy Tyng ’18 (GF: Franklin ’42), Stephanie Trott ’18 (GF: Francis ’45), Max Sullivan ’17 (M: Tiffany Lightbourn ’84) and Stewart Sykes ’17 (F: Colin ’88)

TOP RIGHT Riley Mushkin ’17 (F: Scott ’87), Toby Aronson ’19 (M: Emme Entwistle

BOTTOM LEFT front row: Peyton McSharry ’19 (M: Holly Izant ’80), Winslow Bullard

BOTTOM RIGHT Taking a break during Winter exams: Bert Dorman ’16 (F: Brian ’79), Livie Betke ’16 (F: Eric ’81), Stella Brack ’16 (F: Reginald ’85), Paige Whitney ’17 (F: David ’80) and Blair Stratman ’16 (GF: Donald Arrowsmith ’49). Missing from photo: Robby Lane ’18 (F: Marc ’76)

’19 (GF: Fred Pickering ’65), Sonya Gladstone ’18 (F: Stephen ’60) and Grace Sanford ’18 (F: Thomas ’83, GF: Robert ’50, GGF: Foster ’23). Back row: Sydney Sykes ’19 (F: Colin ’88), Meredith Dorman ’17 (F: Brian ’79), Alexis Mills ’17 (F: Andrew ’89), Austin Fournier ’16 (F: Fred ’73) and Gabriel Garza ’16 (F: Federico ’82)

’81), Sam Kirkiles ’18 (M: Melissa Holcombe ’87), Randy Tyng ’18 (GF: Franklin ’42), Johnny Alexandre ’17 (F: Philippe ’84), Rick Henshaw ’17 (F: Richard ’82), Phoebe Danaher ’16 (F: William ’84), Ben Chynoweth ’17 (M: Dorothy Barclay ’83) and Alex Douglas ’17 (F: Edward ’72)

KENT QUARTERLY

Kent Authors

Chard deNiord ’71 Named Poet Laureate of Vermont In August 2015 Chard deNiord ’71 was named Poet Laureate of Vermont, an honor he will hold for a four-year term. DeNiord joins Robert Frost and Galway Kinnell, among others, who have had the distinction of serving as poet laureate of the Green Mountain State. The installation ceremony was held in November in Montpelier, the state capital, with the Governor presiding. DeNiord is a professor of English and creative writing at Providence College in Rhode Island, where he has taught for 18 years. He holds a BA from Lynchburg College, a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and an MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. Born in New Haven and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, deNiord was a four-year student at Kent, where he was on the staff of the Cauldron, Kent’s literary magazine. Reflecting on his years at Kent, deNiord cites English teacher Edwin Custer, who “had a gentle, brilliant approach,” as someone who had a particularly strong influence on him. Since 1989 deNiord has lived in Vermont with his wife, Liz Hawkes deNiord, also Class of ’71. The next four years will provide quite a change of pace for deNiord, who is accustomed to spending much of his time in solitude, working on his poems. Through readings and discussions at schools, libraries and churches around the state, appearances on local access television, and a syndicated newspaper column, deNiord hopes to encourage people to read and talk about poetry. “I want to convey the importance of poetry in everyday life. I don’t want people to feel it is a special literary category or expression for funerals and weddings and graduations. It is just as applicable to the dramas of ordinary, everyday life,” he commented in an interview with the Brattleboro Reformer. While balancing his roles as professor and poet laureate, deNiord is also working on an anthology of Vermont poets, and plans to continue a project he began a number of years ago, interviewing American poets. His earlier interviews with poets Donald Hall, Galway Kinnell, Maxine Kumin and others were compiled in a book titled Sad Friends, Drowned Lovers, Stapled Songs, published in 2012. DeNiord’s appointment also coincides with the release of his fifth collection of poems, Interstate, described as “a book of wisdom and affection, and a necessary book.”

ANCHORITE IN AUTUMN

She rose from bed and coughed for an hour. Entered her niche that was also her shower. Shaved her legs with Ockham’s razor. Rinsed her hair with holy water. Opened the curtain that was double-layered. Slipped on her robe in the widening gyre. Gazed in the mirror with gorgeous terror. Took out a cigarette and held it like a flower. Lit it devoutly like the wick of a pyre. Smoked like a thurible in the grip of a friar. Stared out the window at the leaves on fire, fire, fire… GROUSE

Whump! Whump! in the meadow like a mower just starting up but never catching. Slow percussive beats at first that quicken before they stop and then the silence in which the moment hangs for him, charging the air with a strange, unlikely sound that is also a song. I hear that beat and know my heart is home to the grouse inside the grass of the uncut meadow, pumping the air as if it were blood. “Anchorite in Autumn” and “Grouse” from Interstate, by Chard deNiord, © 2015. Reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press.

SPRING 2016

The St. Petersburg Connection: Russian-American Friendship from Revolution to Revolution BY ALEXIS S. TROUBETZKOY ’53 DUNDERN 2015

I have been reading with great pleasure Alexis Troubetzkoy’s new book, The St. Petersburg Connection: Russian-American Friendship From Revolution to Revolution, published by Dundurn Press in Toronto and available from Amazon. It’s a clear, well-written account of Russian-American relations from the time of the American Revolution until the end of the Czarist era in 1917. “To this day, the two countries have never fought one another,” he reminds us, in this fine book which is dedicated to “The Class of ’53, Kent School.” Alexis is also the author of Imperial Legend: The Disappearance of Tsar Alexander I, A Brief History of the Crimean War, and Arctic Obsession: The Lure of the Far North. Submitted by Tony Abbott ’53

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle BY JANET STROUP FOX ’69 VIKING 2016

Set in Scotland during World War II, The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle tells the story of Katherine Bateson and her brother and sister. While their father is off fighting in the war, their mother sends them to Scotland to escape the bombing in London. But the castle where they are staying holds dangers of its own, and Kat is determined to find out why her classmates are disappearing and who Lady Eleanor, who rules Rookskill Castle, really is. Part

fantasy and part historical fiction, The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle was described by one reviewer as “A new classic: a terrifyingly irresistible mystery, full of danger, magic and adventure.” The Charmed Children is Fox’s fourth novel and her first for the middle grade reader (grade 6 and up). A former middle school and high school English teacher, Fox lives in Bozeman, Montana.

Not on Fire, but Burning BY GREG HRBEK ’86 MELVILLE HOUSE 2015

Not on Fire, but Burning opens with the destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge, a catastrophe witnessed by twenty-yearold Skyler Wakefield. The novel then jumps eight years ahead: The country has been broken up into territories and Muslims have been moved to internment camps in the West. The Wakefield family has moved to New York, but it’s as if Skyler never existed. No one even remembers her until 11-year-old Dorian sees her in his dreams and tries to convince his parents that she was real. Meanwhile, their neighbor adopts a Muslim orphan from the western territories, and it sets off a series of increasingly terrifying incidents. Equal parts science fiction, mystery, thriller and character-driven drama, Not on Fire, but Burning is “a strong, suspenseful novel, rich in its language, clear eyed in its characters and propulsive in its plotting.” It was selected by the New York Times Book Review as an Editor’s Choice and by NPR as a Best Book of 2015. Hrbek is Writer-inResidence at Skidmore College.

KENT QUARTERLY

Alumni News and Events

SWEITZER FAMILY GIFT HONORS KENT FACULTY AND STAFF

On November 25, three generations of the Sweitzer family gathered on campus for the dedication of the Foundation Wall of Hoerle Hall. Built with stone from local quarries, the wall is a gift of the Sweitzer family to honor Kent’s faculty and staff, “who serve with honor, dignity and care,” in the words inscribed on the plaque. Brothers Brandon ’60 and Jim Sweitzer ’66 were joined by their wives, Lise and Diana, respectively, and Brandon’s children, Geoffrey ’87, Lea ’89, Gavin ’06, Garrett ’08, Lauren ’11 and Lindsey ’11, and grandchildren. In his remarks, Headmaster Dick Schell noted that “the Foundation provides strong support, just as the faculty and staff it honors support our students and are the foundation of our School.”

Photo credit: Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

NOEL ACCIARI ’11

Fulfilling what is likely every hockey player’s lifelong dream—to play in the NHL—Noel Acciari ’11 was called up to the Boston Bruins from their Providence (AHL) affiliate in February. Captain of the hockey teams at both Kent and Providence College, Noel signed a free-agent contract with the Bruins in 2015 after winning the NCAA championship with the Friars that year (with help from Kent teammates Conor MacPhee ’11 and Drew Brown ’11). Since being called up, Noel has earned praise from Coach Claude Julien, teammates and the media. He scored his first career point with an assist in a 5–4 win over the Florida Panthers.

SPRING 2016

Tony Abbott ’53, center, with North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, left, and Susan Kluttz, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

ANTHONY S. ABBOTT ’53 RECEIVES NORTH CAROLINA’S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR

Tony Abbott ’53 has been named a recipient of the 2015 North Carolina Award, the State’s highest civilian honor. Established in 1961, the award “recognizes significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine art, literature, public service and science.” Abbott was one of six distinguished North Carolinians honored at a ceremony in November. A poet and retired professor of English at Davidson College, Abbott was honored for his contributions to the field of literature. His works include The Girl in the Yellow Raincoat, a collection of poetry that was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1989. The State’s announcement included the following tribute: “For over fifty years Tony Abbott, often reciting poems from memory, has held forth in two classrooms, as Professor of English at Davidson College and as Sunday School teacher at Davidson College Presbyterian Church, and has engaged students, communities and individuals in his passion for writing. In seven volumes of poetry and two novels, he has plumbed the issues that bring meaning to life. Abbott is well known for his irrepressible passion for the written word, his eye for the telling detail and his dedication to the community of writers in the Tar Heel State.”

ABOVE View along the path of the Peace March to Srebrenica; INSET Tracy with her

daughter Cecily at the 2014 Peace March

Women Creating Change Tracy Greene Craighead ’81 and her work with Women for Women International THE HILLS AROUND SREBRENICA,

a small mountain town in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are lush and green in summer, thick forests alternating with the open fields of small family farms. Over the course of three days in July 2015, Tracy Greene Craighead ’81 walked 75 miles through this terrain, beginning in the town of Nezuk and ending in a cemetery in Srebrenica. Representing Women for Women International, Tracy joined nearly 10,000 participants in a Peace March to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the mass killings committed in Bosnia in 1995. The march honors the 15,000 Bosnian 36

men and boys who fled along this same route in reverse, leaving from their homes in Srebrenica, to escape Serb forces. Nearly 8,000 were killed along the way. “I really believe in the importance of our walking in solidarity with survivors of war in Bosnia—and everywhere—in an effort to raise awareness of what happens in war and how we can all help in some small way to end or prevent conflict, everywhere. Creating opportunities for survivors to come together to heal and rebuild is so critical.” Over the past few years, Tracy has travelled to Rwanda, Kosovo, and to Bosnia

twice (she participated in the Peace March in 2014 with her daughter Cecily) in her volunteer work with Women for Women International (WfWI), an organization committed to supporting and providing opportunities for women in countries affected by war and conflict. The organization offers a year-long program to aid women as they move from crisis and isolation to stability and empowerment, learning the tools necessary for financial independence as they rebuild their lives. Since 1993 Women for Woman has established programs in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic KENT QUARTERLY

Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan—“the most marginalized women in the most difficult places.” And as of 2015, they are supporting local partners serving Syrian refugees and Yazidi women who have fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Tracy’s involvement with WfWI began about eight years ago when a friend asked her to help put together a cookbook to raise money and awareness for the organization. At the time Tracy was living in London with her family—husband, Brad Craighead ’80, and daughters Cecily and Audrey. It sounded like an interesting project and she was willing to pitch in and do what she could. But as she learned more about how the organization helps women bring about change in their own lives and in their communities, she became more committed to

cookbook quickly became something much more ambitious. To help draw attention to the book and, in turn, the organization, Tracy and her team sought the support of celebrities and well known public figures. “We made the decision that all the recipe contributors had to be either activists, philanthropists or humanitarians—even the chefs needed to be doing something for the greater good. That decision gave us the focus we needed.” Meryl Streep agreed to write the foreword, and Dame Judi Dench, Christiane Amanpour and Paul McCartney are among the many contributors. “We also knew we had to balance the big names we needed for media power with those of unsung heroes, just ordinary people doing something really great.” Many of those “unsung heroes” featured in the cookbook are the partici-

agreed to contribute to the book, she decided to reach out to Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. It took some persistence to track her down. “I called her office in Burma at the National League for Democracy, I called embassies, I just ‘rang around Burma.’ And eventually someone gave me the number for her residence manager and I actually got him on the phone. He didn’t know much English, but he understood enough to say, ‘Yes, send me what you have.’ I never considered myself a networker, but if I wasn’t before, I am now!” Suu Kyi agreed to get involved and submitted both a recipe (Burmese tomato fish curry) and a statement: “The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all.”

“The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all.” —NOBEL LAUREATE AUNG SAN SUU KYI

the project. Over the next four years her involvement ranged from developing the concept for the book, contacting potential contributors, traveling to Rwanda and Kosovo to take photos and find recipes, pitching to publishers, and sending endless emails as she spearheaded the effort from London when her friend returned to the U.S. in 2011. “We were three American women living in London with no experience in the publishing world or even the culinary field, but when you find you’re on the right path, things just fall into place. We eventually asked two more women to join our core team who filled our critical gaps in the culinary and creative areas.” What started as a “family and friends” SPRING 2016

pants in the WfWI programs around the world, who share their local country recipes and their stories about establishing successful businesses. A nominal advance from the publisher provided some support, but they still had to be ready to dig into their own pockets. It helped that many of London’s top professionals involved in the project—the food photographer, food stylist and food economist—were so moved by the organization’s mission that they offered their services at a reduced cost. One of the highlights for Tracy was achieving what she dubbed the “humanitarian hat trick.” After both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The book, titled Share: The Cookbook that Celebrates Our Common Humanity [Kyle Books], was released in May 2013 and has surpassed even their most ambitious goals, selling nearly 50,000 copies in over 20 countries and raising awareness about the women around the world who are rebuilding their lives with skills, resources, and support from Women for Women International. In addition to her work on Share, Tracy also supports the organization by sponsoring a “sister” with a monthly financial contribution. “When you sign up to be a sponsor, you are personally assigned to support one person. They know who you are and you know who they are. When I 37

Women from the association in Kovaci outside their community center

A coffin carried by family members into the cemetery in Srebrenica for the Memorial Service

“We were there to show solidarity with the survivors and the families of the victims, and to help put international attention on what happened there—just 20 years ago.

was in Rwanda with the cookbook team, I actually met my ‘sister,’ and I saw the direct impact it has on these women to know that someone cares enough to write to them, to send them money, to place hope in them. So often you hear people say, ‘I wish there was something I could do.’ Well, actually, there is something you can do!” In each of the countries where WfWI is based, local women participate in a year-long training program and learn how to earn and save money, how to promote good health for themselves and their families, influence decisions in their homes and communities, and connect to networks

for support and advocacy. “If you help a woman get back on her feet, you’re really helping many more people because she then helps her family, and if she develops a thriving business, she helps her community.” This is at the heart of what WfWI sets out to do. In Bosnia this summer Tracy met with women in the village of Kovaci who had maintained close ties after completing the year-long training program, even wearing an unofficial uniform of coordinating white blouses and maroon skirts to show their unity with one another. “Not only had these women come together and created economic opportunities for themselves, but

two of their members had just made history by becoming the first women elected to their village’s local council. And they were extremely proud of this!” These “associations,” as they’re called, provide a sense of camaraderie, teamwork and support, which is especially important in the months and years after the training program ends. “My trips have given me the chance to witness the power of women creating change when given access to resources, education and each other. As we passed through different towns [on the Peace March in Bosnia] and met with survivors, it was clear that women have been the foundation of bringing these communities back together.”

KENT QUARTERLY

As the Peace March came to an end last summer, participants entered the cemetery, led by Bosnian men carrying 136 coffins draped with green cloths. The coffins held the remains of victims uncovered in mass graves during the past year. As thousands of marchers joined those already gathered in the cemetery, there was absolute silence. “As we walked into the cemetery carrying a long banner that read ‘Women for Women in support of Bosnia’ amidst this somber silence, applause erupted. It was so unexpected, but it was spontaneous and heartfelt because there were Bosnians along the road who recognized the work of Women for Women International and appreciated that we were there to show solidarity with

them—the survivors and the families of the victims—and to help put international attention on what happened there—just 20 years ago. We all need to ensure the world remembers and we do not let it happen again.” Since returning from Bosnia last summer, Tracy has been working on a number of different projects: planning an event in her local community to highlight the importance of women’s rights in the countries where WfWI operates; continuing to promote Share; and helping to coordinate WfWI groups in high schools. She is also making plans to return to Rwanda this summer with her teenage daughters. “The ‘aha moment’ for me was when I heard a survivor speak with hope after

enduring on-going war in Congo. It helped me see how small investments in developing women can produce lasting and transformative change. I have seen firsthand how women are able to transform their lives, their families, and ultimately their communities. I am inspired by these women to keep working for change, knowing the power of this ripple effect. I do what I can, no matter how small, to make it happen.” Photos by Tracy Greene Craighead ’81. To learn more about Women for Women International see their website: womenforwomen.org

Live-Streaming Events from Kent Kent has partnered with Bleachers Inc. to provide a free live-streaming video service to members of the Kent family. This platform will enable everyone near or far to watch selected events (athletic games, lectures, services in St. Joseph’s Chapel) live or later on-demand. SETTING UP YOUR ACCOUNT You will first need to register with our provider, Bleachers Inc., to set up your unique password. You may do this through one of two methods: 1) On your computer at www.gobleachers.com/Kent

Streaming Events from Kent

2) On your mobile device at https://gobleachers.com/tour ONCE YOU COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION PROCESS, view online at www.gobleachers.com/Kent. If using a mobile device, you must install the free Bleachers Mobile App for iPhone and iPad or Android before you can view. (Please note, you cannot register for this service from within the Bleachers Mobile App, you must first complete the process through your browser.) For best viewing experience, please use Google Chrome or Firefox. Not compatible with Internet Explorer. For assistance, please email support@gobleachers.com. SPRING 2016

Fall Events

BOSTON

CHICAGO

A hand-carved KENT pumpkin welcomed guests to the October reception hosted by Kent Trustee Jim McNulty and his wife, Jamie Thorsen, parents of Tess ’18.

ITHACA

Cornell University Brunch

On December 6, Kent alumni attending Cornell gathered for a brunch with Kathy Nadire of the Development Office at the Statler Hotel in Ithaca, New York. There was a lively discussion of and feedback about Kent. Many thanks to Tucker Iida ’12, a student at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, for organizing the event.

John Payne ’15, Kathleen Turajane ’13, Morgan Parker ’14, Christ Dineff ’14, Tucker Iida ’12, Jaewon Kim ’09, Sarah Wax ’11, Lily Gao ’11, Guizhu Tao ’12

Rob Constable ’81 (rowing for Pelham Community Rowing Association), Peter Goodman ’03, and David Barclay ’82 (rowing for Cornell Alumni)

Head of the Charles Regatta

The Kent tent at the Head of the Charles was a gathering place for alumni competing in the regatta, as well as for alumni and friends cheering from the river banks. This year Kent fielded a Men’s Youth Four (Brett Cataldo ’16, Will Phillips ’16, Daven Rajesh ’16, Wes Gordon ’16, Theo Freidenrich ’16) and a

Women’s Alumnae Eight (Christianna Sieverding ’11, Tegan Campia ’10, Melissa Flack ’13, Jacqueline Gerretsen Carrington ’01, Emily Horgan ’12, Gayle Love Wertheimer ’02, Haley Parker ’13, Talia DeFranco ’11 and Maggie West ’01). In addition there were dozens of alumni racing for their colleges and clubs.

Annie Daukas ’11, Evelyn Mantegani ’12, Talia DeFranco ’11, Christianna Sieverding ’11, Tegan Campia ’10, Melissa Flack ’13, Haley Parker ’13

KENT QUARTERLY

NEW YORK CITY

Smart Plans for Savvy Women

Alumnae, mothers and grandmothers of current students gathered at the Princeton Club of New York in October to learn how to create an effective estate plan Tatiana Kaletsch ’81, Jenny Nichols Popp ’81, Susan Smith in a program titled “A Smart Pettenati ’79, Barbara Lynn Pedersen, Abby Tyson Ciambrone ’81, Life-Planning Discussion for Elizabeth Haber Galbraith ’88 and Alice Smith Clark ’84 Savvy Women.” Barbara Lynn questions one should ask before setting Pedersen, Esq., a trusts and estate attorney with Emmet, Marvin & Martin, LLP, up a plan. The women attending, ranging from alumnae just beginning their in New York, offered practical advice in careers to those approaching retireplain language, using real-world examment, enjoyed the informative program ples and humor to emphasize her points and lively discussion. One alumna comand answer questions. Her presentation mented afterwards, “I left feeling well covered numerous topics, including the informed and empowered to take charge key components of an estate plan—why it’s important, what it includes and what of my own matters!”

WHITE PLAINS

Talented Kent artists at Muse Paintbar Event

Alumni Council Fall Family Event On a Saturday afternoon in November the Kent School Alumni Council added a paintbar event to their list of unique family experiences in the New York City area. Alumni Council member Aisha Simpson Williams ’98 coordinatSPRING 2016

ed this event for Kent families at Muse Paintbar in White Plains, NY. A trained artist instructed the group from blank canvas to masterpiece. We have some very creative and talented artists in our Kent family! Thank you, Aisha!

Timely Current Events Deliberated at New York’s Kent Forum

Not even the threat of fierce Northeastern winter storms hindered the enthusiasm of more than 70 Kent New Yorkers in January when they gathered at the Yale Club for a discussion of “Middle East Conflict and Its Ripple Effects Around the Globe, including ISIS, Refugees and U.S. Foreign Policy.” Three outstanding experts in the field took part: COMMANDER DAVID BLACKWOOD ’87 : A distinguished 24-year career as a naval intelligence officer, including assignments around the world and the Pentagon; service as the senior intelligence officer for the U.S. military delegation to NATO; and winner of the Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award for Leadership for service in Afghanistan COLIN CLARK ’74 : Editor of Breaking Defense, an online defense magazine; a former congressional, intelligence and regulatory affairs reporter for Space News; founder and editor of the Washington Aerospace Briefing; editor of Defense News; covered national security issues for Congressional Quarterly ALLAN DODDS FRANK (moderator): An award-winning broadcast and print journalist; former correspondent with ABC News, CNN, Forbes; current contributor to The Daily Beast, Fortune and Newsweek; working on a book about the global economy The full taped program may be viewed at www.gobleachers.com/Kent (see page 39).

Winter Events

KENT

Brandon Adams ’06, Sean Goodrich ’06, Kieran Bretz ’11, Sean Sampson ’11, Mark Cheong ’09, Henry Stevens ’08, Gray Perkins ’09, Theodore Boyomo ’10, James Seelye ’09, Ivy Perkins ’07, Dennis Lundgren ’73, Josh Kingsley ’12, Alex Lundgren ’05, Ernie Fair ’70 and Lance Slaughter ’71

Alumni Basketball Game

TOP Former teammates Ernie Fair ’70 and Lance Slaughter ’71; BOTTOM Sean Goodrich ’06, George-

Ann Gowan (Hon) ’66 and Brandon Adams ’06

Alumni/ae Hockey Game

Alumni spanning more than 40 years returned to Don Gowan ’66 Court for the Alumni Basketball Game. Former teammates reunited and even a fatherson pair, Dennis ’73 and Alex Lundgren ’05 (both coached by Don Gowan), joined forces on the court. Earlier that day, the alumni had lunch with the boys varsity

team in the Dining Hall, sharing stories about Kent Basketball, then and now. That evening, alumni cheered on the varsity squad in their final game of the regular season—a decisive 66–39 victory over Trinity-Pawling. Many thanks to Coach Jason Coulombe, who was instrumental in organizing this event.

KENT

The annual Alumni/ae Hockey Game, on February 20th, drew “returners” who rarely miss a game as well as newcomers back for the first time. As always, it was a fast paced, competitive game, with the goalies seeing a lot of action. After lunch in Walker Hall, alumni/ae returned to the Nadal Rink for an exciting game—the boys varsity team’s 4–1 win over Canterbury. TOP RIGHT Brian DeDonato ’08, Josee Caissie ’08,

Andrew Rodriguez ’08, Monica Valente ’08, Michele Gintoli ’06; BOTTOM LEFT Graham Murphy ’84 and family; BOTTOM RIGHT 1973 classmates Art Collins, John Rooney, Carl Jackson and Joe Fernald

KENT QUARTERLY

THE FOURTEENTH ANNUAL

ANNAPOLIS

United States Naval Academy-Kent School Alumni Brunch NAVAL ACADEMY CLUB ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

Current Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy who graduated from Kent and friends of Kent gathered for brunch at the Naval Academy Club for our 14th annual gathering earlier this year. Special thanks to our host again this year, Capt. Ed Wallace USNA ’72, who is Vice President of Athletic & Scholarship Programs at the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. Capt. Wallace works closely with current USNA Foundation Scholars at Kent School throughout the year and with other candidates from Kent interested in the U.S. Naval Academy. Our continuing thanks to Dik and Barbara Glass P’02,’05 who began the Brunch tradition when their son Alex was at the Academy. LT Alex Glass ’02 USNA ’06 is currently serving as Flag Aide to

BACK ROW (L-R): Capt. Ed Wallace USNA ’72, Michael Kirwan ’91, Kent Alley ’82, Bob Reichart ’80, Ben

Wright ’80 (front) Kirk Kostrzewski ’12, Tom Ernst ’12, Chris Rizman ’12, Stefano Korkotas ’15 and Headmaster Dick Schell ’69

Navy Rear Adm. John D. Alexander, now serving as commander, Task Force 70, and commander, Carrier Strike Group 5, Yokosuka, Japan. Please join us next year for the Fifteenth Annual USNA-Kent Brunch.

ANNAPOLIS

If you are a U.S. Naval Academy graduate or currently serving our country and would like to join us next winter in Annapolis, please contact Kent Alley ’82 in the Alumni Office, (860) 927-6265 or alleyk@kent-school.edu.

Navy Crew Banquet

The night before the USNA KENT Brunch, the Headmaster was honored to be the guest of Mike Kirwan ’91 at the annual Navy Crew Alumni Banquet, held at the Navy/Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, honoring current men’s and women’s Navy crew teams, as well as retired coaches. Kent School is proud of its longstanding ties with the United States Naval Academy.

AT LEFT Ben Wright ’80, Headmaster Dick Schell ’69,

Michael Kirwan ’91 and Bob Reichart ’80

SPRING 2016

BOSTON

Our sincere thanks to alumni around the country and the world who hosted events throughout the school year. Pebbles Wadsworth ’66 Austin, TX, November 2015 Ernest Franklin ’87 Dallas, TX, November 2015 Price ’58 and Sage Gripekoven ’90 Portland, OR, November 2015 The Kent group on the court pre-game

Kent and the Boston Celtics

A group of lucky Kent alumni, parents and friends had the opportunity to enjoy a luxury box experience at the February 10 Celtics game against the LA Clippers. The group was invited to arrive early for team warm-ups and a photo on the court. To make it even more exciting, the game went into overtime with the Celtics winning by five points. A big thank you to the Celtics staff and Kent alumnus Marc Rogers ’08 for organizing this very unique Boston event.

Kent in Vero Beach

The Riomar Beach Club was a beautiful setting for a reception and dinner that brought together alumni spanning 40 years as well as parents of both current students and alumni. Our sincere thanks to Foster ’56 and Penny Devereux for their generosity in hosting this annual event, which is always so well attended.

Bill Wurts ’55 Seattle, WA, November 2015 NEW YORK

Adam Peck ’82 and Kyra Sweda ’86 Los Angeles, CA, January 2016 Nipon Leelasithorn ’79 Bangkok, Thailand, March 2016

Alumni Council President Ernest Franklin ’87, Matt Dunn ’98, Ashley Cooke ’98, Caroline Melly ’10, Jerry Cole P’07,’10 and Rindy Portfolio ’98

NY Yacht Club Holiday Party

Kent alumni, parents and friends gathered at the New York Yacht Club on December 3 for the annual Holiday Party. In addition to the season’s greetings and offering of thanks made by Headmaster Dick Schell ’69, Linda Burhance, President of the Parents Committee and mother of Noah ’16, Kent Trustee Amy Macartney Freidenrich ’87, P’16,’18, Alumni Council President Ernest Franklin ’87 and Board President Waring Partridge ’62 each spoke about Kent today and the need to support our great School. Our sincere thanks to Trustee Bob Hoerle ’52 for making this festive gathering at the Yacht Club possible.

Wayne Cheung ’95, Wendy Cheung ’98, Winnie Cheung ’06, Emmy Chow ’92, Koboer Ko ’89, Mauraeer Lai ’91 and Jean Ma ’94 Hong Kong, March 2016 Phil Alexandre ’84 New York, NY, March 2016 Minki Synn ’92 Seoul, Korea, March 2016 Jimmy Yeh ’08 Taipei, Taiwan, March 2016 Mr. and Mrs. Foster Devereux ’56 Vero Beach, FL, March 2016 Brad Kott ’95 Denver, CO, April 2016 Graham Jones ’00 New York, NY, April 2016 Mr. and Mrs. John Tewksbury ’62 Scottsdale, AZ, April 2016

KENT QUARTERLY

In Memoriam 1936

1946

1953

1967

January 7, 2016

September 27, 2015

February 15, 2016

October 18, 2015

1939

R. Channing Johnson

Nina Pacocha (Hon)

March 17, 2016

October 9, 2015

William W. Pinney Jr.

David H. Marsh

Howard A. Patterson Jr.

1979

November 4, 2015

October 30, 2015

October 27, 2015

1943

Emilien Viet

1955

James H. Stanton

Lawrence L. Hooper

February 23, 2016

1945

Joseph L. Fearing III

January 3, 2016 Arthur E. Nilsson

August 7, 2015

John H. Eager III

September 2015

1948

Donald M. MacWillie Jr.

Dugald V. MacArthur

Michael C. Rae

September 29, 2015

March 7, 2016

1951

1958

October 8, 2015

February 8, 2016

Gerald D. Pattou

1964

H. Clarke Anderson

February 4, 2011 George C. Wilson Jr.

September 15, 2015

SPRING 2016

Kendrick F. Bellows Jr.

January 25, 2016

William A. Stowe

Richard-Scott Burow

Margaret H.K. McConnell

January 27, 2016

1994

Jessica Marulli

February 7, 2016

The Kent Quarterly includes obituaries and tributes written by friends and classmates in Class Notes. Newspaper obituaries can now be viewed online at www.kent-school.edu/ alumni/memoriam.

Former Faculty George Knaus

November 21, 2015

Peter H. Camp

November 27, 2015

Grace Note

The Gratitude Project DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY,

the Kent community was encouraged to consider what they are grateful for by participating in the Gratitude Project. Inspired by Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags, Rev. Kate Kelderman and the chaplains offered students, faculty and staff the opportunity to create their own prayer flags—colorful pieces of paper with

messages of thanks—that were hung in St. Joseph’s Chapel. Rev. Kelderman commented, “I have always been a big believer in the power of gratitude and its ability to lift spirits and change perspectives. The response from the faculty, staff and students in the community was incredible, and together we produced enough gratitude flags to

decorate the walls of the chapel. It is a heartwarming exercise to wander the chapel and notice both the similarity and variety in our prayers of gratitude.” The flags remained through the Easter season, encouraging the School community to extend their habit of giving thanks well beyond the month of February.

KENT QUARTERLY

“

I benefited from all that Kent gave me, and I felt I should pay it back in some way. —DICK CROSBIE ’61

”

DICK AND SANDY CROSBIE

An Opportunity to Do More

Dick Crosbie ’61 grew up a short walk from campus, but his career as the chief chemist for Nike, Inc. has taken him and his wife, Sandy, around the world. He credits his Kent education—both in and out of the classroom—with helping to make his career possible. “Simplicity of Life, Self-Reliance, Directness of Purpose— that meant a lot. Kent taught me to set goals and to stay the course to achieve those goals. That has stayed with me through college, my time in the Special Forces, and my career. “I’ve always contributed to Kent on an annual basis, but including Kent in our estate plans was an opportunity to do more. Because the School helped me with the sliding-scale tuition, we wanted to give others the opportunity for a Kent education.” Dick and Sandy’s bequest will establish a Scholarship Fund in their names and will also benefit the Science Department. Join the Bell Tower Society THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO BECOME A MEMBER:

by including Kent in your will or trust, naming Kent as a beneficiary of an insurance policy or retirement fund, or setting up a charitable gift annuity. FOR MORE INFORMATION on these and other planned giving options, please contact Denny Mantegani, Director of Planned Giving, at 860-927-6274, ManteganiD@kent-school.edu, or visit our website: www.kent-school.edu/plannedgiving.

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